An Alabaster man sought to be exiled and banished from the United States rather than face a prison sentence in South Dakota on charges of stalking, witness tampering, being a felon in possession of a gun, and impersonating an FBI agent.

Michael Thetford, also known as Russ LNU, 37, however, didn't get his wish and was ordered this week by a federal judge in South Dakota to serve five years and 11 months in prison on top of a 26 1/2-year sentence he is already serving in a related case in Alabama.

Thetford was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange in a hearing Tuesday in Pierre, South Dakota.

Thetford's attorney with the public defender's office in South Dakota had asked in a court filing that the sentence run concurrent with - instead of consecutive to - the 26 1/2 -year sentence imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Karon Bowdre in Birmingham. Judge Bowdre had already considered the factors included in the South Dakota crimes when imposing the Alabama sentence, the attorney argued.

"Finally, Defendant Thetford requests a sentence of exile and banishment, which would accomplish the same goals under ... (sentencing) factors, without the costs of incarceration," the public defender stated in the court filing.

It wasn't the first time Thetford had made an unusual request to a judge.

Thetford had claimed he was a prisoner of war when he was sentenced in June 2013 by Judge Bowdre related to his guilty plea to production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, felon in possession of firearms, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the impersonation scheme and theft of a boat.

Thetford originally had a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in South Dakota that included an agreement that his sentences in the two states would run concurrent. It's not clear from court records what changed.

In October Thetford was found guilty by a federal jury in South Dakota, following a 5-day trial, according to a statement from United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson.

According to Johnson's statement, the South Dakota charges and conviction stem from a May 28, 2010 incident involving William Jack Winslett and Shirley Winslett, a married couple from Hughes County in rural South Dakota.

According to the statement:

"The victims also own property and other assets in Alabama. That afternoon, Thetford came to their door posing as a Special Agent with the FBI. Thetford was wearing a dark suit, displayed FBI and military credentials, had a pistol on his hip, and identified himself as "Agent Russ."

Thetford accused the victims of being involved in drug trafficking and other criminal matters. The victims believed he was an actual FBI Agent. Thetford informed the victims they needed to accompany him to a polygraph examination in Sioux City, Iowa, indicating they could be arrested at the end of the interview. Thetford told them they would need to bring their computers, so they produced their computers for the trip to Sioux City. Thetford directed the victims into the back seat of his vehicle, which had locked back-seat doors.

Thetford drove the victims toward Sioux City, but stopped at Humboldt, South Dakota, where he informed the victims that he had received a cell phone call which cleared them of the drug investigation. He said a different arrest was in the process of being made, and he would return them home. On the drive home, there was friendlier talk with the victims.

Thetford learned both victims were shooting sport enthusiasts, and learned Mr. Winslett had a knack for gunsmithing. Ultimately, Thetford left his pistol with the victims, asking that Mr. Winslett do some repair work on the trigger. On June 4, 2010, Thetford, posing as "Agent Russ" sent the Winsletts an email indicating an arrest had been made and he would enter them into a victim compensation program.

Over the course of several following months, the Winsletts had trouble maintaining contact with "Agent Russ" and began to doubt he was an actual FBI Agent. The FBI began to track Thetford's travel to and from South Dakota between May 25 and May 29, 2010.

Around November 16, 2011, federal search warrants were obtained for Thetford's home in Alabaster, Alabama. Numerous items of evidence were found, including fake FBI badges, fake military credentials, fake credentials for surgeons, fake Immigration and Customs Enforcement uniforms and credentials, pepper spray, handcuffs, computers, and molds and materials to make other law enforcement badges and credentials.

Thetford was tracked over three days and arrested on November 19, 2011, after he fled on foot from pursuing FBI agents through a rural wooded area known as Confederate Memorial Park in Alabama. After his arrest, Thetford sent a letter to a family member asking the family member to track down a laptop computer that he did not want law enforcement authorities to find. The laptop computer, and other computer media seized from his home, connected Thetford to a plot to defraud the Winsletts by illegally transferring their Alabama real estate and other property and assets to himself and his land surveying business. Thetford unlawfully used fake notary credentials to make transfer paperwork look legitimate. Thetford's associate testified at trial that Thetford wanted to take and sell the victims' Alabama property (including a boat), so Thetford traveled to South Dakota in May of 2010 to investigate the victims and determine if they had plans to come back to Alabama.

Though incarcerated on other Alabama charges, around February 13, 2013, Thetford sent a letter to the Winsletts that served to threaten and intimidate the victims. The letter sought to have the Winsletts stop cooperating with federal law enforcement authorities and withhold testimony.

Based upon the investigation that began in South Dakota and continued in Alabama, as well as searches of his home computers, Alabama authorities pursued charges for child pornography, illegal possession of several firearms at his Alabama home, and wire fraud."

This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the FBI's Pierre and Birmingham offices, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI's Science and Technology Branch Investigative Analysis Unit, and other local law enforcement agencies in Alabama. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case in South Dakota.