Michigan man accused of threatening, directing racial slurs at mail carrier pleads guilty

A Mount Clemens, Michigan, man accused of threatening a postal carrier when he was asked to secure his dog has pleaded guilty. 

Michael Sowards, 49, was arraigned on two counts of possessing firearms by a prohibited person, one count of possessing ammunition by a prohibited person, and three counts of felony firearms, according to the sheriff's office. 

Authorities say on May 4, at a home on the 100 block of Dickinson Street in Mount Clemens, Sowards directed racial slurs toward a mail carrier and threatened to retrieve an AR-15 rifle after the carrier asked him to secure his dog so he could deliver mail safely. 

Macomb County deputies arrested Sowards, and while searching his home, found an AR-15-style rifle, two loaded magazines, one CO2-powered pellet pistol, one .22-caliber pellet rifle and another pellet air rifle.

At a pretrial conference on Aug. 10, Sowards pleaded guilty to one count each of possessing firearms by a prohibited person and possessing ammunition by a prohibited person, court records show. As part of his plea agreement, all other charges were dismissed. 

Sowards is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 29.