United States Attorney Leura G. Canary Middle District of Alabama

MONTGOMERY FELON INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA—Leura G. Canary, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, announced today that Lorenzo Rainer, age 47, of Montgomery, Alabama, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm.

The indictment alleges that on June 12, 2007, Rainer possessed a Ruger .357 Magnum revolver after having been previously convicted of four felonies, in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1), including Burglary 3d, Robbery 3d, Theft of Property 2d, and Buying, Receiving, and Concealing Stolen Property. Rainer made his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge today. The United States has filed a motion to detain Rainer pending trial. The magistrate judge ordered that Rainer be detained pending a hearing on the motion and set the hearing for Monday, August 6, 2007, at 9:00 am. Rainer will also be arraigned on the charge at that time.

If convicted, Rainer faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. However, if Rainer is found to have three prior felony convictions for crimes of violence or serious drug offenses, he would be sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal and face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison with a maximum of life.

The case was investigated as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and Middle District of Alabama’s Alabama ICE programs, aimed at preventing violent crime and the illegal possession of firearms. According to U.S. Attorney Leura G. Canary, “Prosecuting repeat offenders such as Rainer to ensure that violent felons do not possess firearms is a crucial part of the fight against violent crime in Montgomery and remains a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
This case was investigated through the joint efforts of the Montgomery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Shepherd.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.