A Thompson Falls man accused of possessing a firearm after having been found to suffer from a mental disorder appeared Dec. 16 on charges.

According to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme, Suede Jeffrey Shuttle, 25, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. Desoto on a criminal complaint. The complaint charges Shuttle with person in possession of a firearm that has been previously adjudicated mentally defective or had been previously committed to a mental institution.

If convicted of the most serious crime, Shuttle faces a maximum 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

The complaint is merely an accusation, and Shuttle is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Shuttle was detained pending further proceedings.

The complaint alleges that Shuttle, after having been advised by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that he was no longer allowed to possess firearms because he had been previously committed to a mental hospital, possessed a .308 caliber bolt action, military style rifle Dec. 10.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Weldon is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the ATF and the Thompson Falls Police Department.