Minnesota man accused of assembling an arsenal to attack police is sentenced to nearly 7 years

@ap.news FILE – This Dec 15, 2022, booking photo released by Sherburne County Jail in Elk River, Minn., shows River Smith. The Minnesota man who told an FBI informant that he was building an arsenal of automatic weapons to use against police and admired mass shooters pleaded guilty Tuesday, May 16, 2023, to illegally possessing a machine gun. (Sherburne County Jail via AP, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota man accused of assembling an arsenal of illegal weapons to use against police has been sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison. Twenty-one-year-old River William Smith pleaded guilty last May to one count of possession of a machine gun — specifically devices to convert guns to fully automatic fire. Prosecutors say Smith idolized mass shooters, while his defense attorney countered that the government’s accusations were wildly exaggerated. U.S. District Judge Doty rejected the government’s request at Tuesday’s hearing for the maximum sentence of 10 years but called Smith’s behavior “egregious.” Smith’s attorney plans to appeal the sentence.