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Hatchet attacker faces gun charge A White City man who got a year in jail for a vicious attack on his girlfriend and her estranged husband was arraigned Monday in U.S. District Court on a firearms charge. Jess "Butch" Martin, 51, is charged with one count of unlawful transportation of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison as an armed career criminal. The charge, handed down Sept. 16 by a federal grand jury, alleges Martin illegally possessed a .308-caliber Remington bolt-action rifle. A federal prosecutor did not return a phone call seeking further comment on the case. Martin was convicted of fourth-degree assault last week in Jackson County Circuit Court for the July 27 attack on his girlfriend, Nancy Bennett, and her estranged husband, David Lindgren. Authorities said Martin attacked the pair with a hatchet-like weapon, and he could have faced up to 7 years in state prison if convicted. Lindgren suffered a fractured skull, while Bennett needed dozens of stitches to close a deep cut to her chin. Prosecutors reduced the case to misdemeanor assault, citing difficulties getting the victims to cooperate. Lindgren has not been heard from since his release from jail in Klamath County jail on an unrelated parole beef. U.S. Magistrate John Cooney confined Martin to jail pending trial next month, citing Martin's lengthy criminal history that includes convictions in California for armed robbery and rape. There is no bail in federal court. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA