Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 19, 2007
Contact : Sue McKinney
POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON
United States Attorney Maxwell Wood, Middle District of Georgia, Albany Division announces the sentencings of Horace Burdell Coker of Americus, Georgia and Russell Carter of Grady County, Georgia. Both defendants were sentenced by the Honorable W. Louis Sands, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 in Albany. The sentencings come as the result of guilty pleas entered by the defendants.
1) Horace Burdell Coker pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and admitted the following facts: on June 30, 2005 agents with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office made contact with Horace Coker. This contact was instigated by a report they received of the pawning of a stolen gun at a local pawn shop by Coker who was on active parole at the time of the offense. Coker first stated that he had not pawned the .380 caliber Hi-Point in question. Coker later admitted that he pawned the gun for $50.00.
Coker was sentenced to serve 180 months (fifteen years) without parole in federal prison, a term of supervised release of 5 years, and a $100 mandatory assessment fee.
Coker has prior convictions for:
- Possession of a Sawed-Off Shotgun Sumter Superior Court Case Number 98R-386 Plea of Guilty October 8, 1998;
- Burglary and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon Sumter County Superior Court Case Number 00R-25 Plea of Guilty February 1, 2000; and
- Possession of Marijuana with intent to Distribute Sumter County Superior Court Case Number 04CR186 Plea of Guilty December 30, 2004.
Coker had been in the custody of the Georgia Department of Corrections for Parole Violation from June 30, 2005 until he was taken into federal custody to answer this indictment in June 2007.
This case was investigated by S/A Ashley Lightner, ATF, Macon and prosecuted by Leah McEwen, Assistant United States Attorney.
2) Russell Carter pleaded guilty to making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and admitted the following facts: beginning on April 22, 2006, Russell Carter pawned several firearms at American Pawn, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Cairo, Georgia. Thereafter on May 4, 2006, he redeemed four firearms:
1) Remington Model 1100 12 ga. shotgun S/N 401425V;
2) Remington 1100 12 ga. shotgun S/N L626564M;
3) Browning Model BAR .270 rifle S/N 137PX06394; and
4) Lorcin Model L32 .32 caliber pistol S/N 002514.
Carter was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 37 months without parole in federal prison. This sentence is to run concurrent to sentences in the states of Florida and Alabama which he is already serving. His sentence is to be followed by 2 years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory assessment.
During this time, Carter was a fugitive on felony Robbery charge out of Dothan, Alabama and was wanted for Failure to Appear. Carter was also convicted of the felony offense of Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injuries in the Superior Court of Gadsden County, Florida on July 14, 2004.
During the transaction to redeem the firearms, Carter completed an ATF Form 4473 falsely answering the questions regarding his status as a convicted felon and being under indictment. A search of his residence revealed the following ammunition:
1) 4 12 gauge shotgun shells (3 Winchester; 1 Federal Buck Shot Load);
2) 1 20 gauge shotgun shell (Winchester Heavy Game);
3) 5 .32 caliber cartridges (RP Bottle Load);
4) 3 30/30 cartridges (Winchester); and
5) 20 30/06 cartridges (Springfield FC).
This case was investigated by Steve Clark of the Grady County Sheriff’s Office and Brad Donnelly, ATF, Columbus and prosecuted by Leah McEwen, Assistant United States Attorney.
For additional information, contact Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2602.
