Two Men Charged With Illegal Firearms Possession in Russell County
Montgomery, Alabama - Travis Thomas, age 35, of Columbus, Georgia, and Anthony McGee, also known as Anthony Jackson, age 38, of Phenix City, Alabama, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama with illegal firearms possession, U.S. Attorney Leura G. Canary announced today. Thomas was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and McGee was charged with possessing a short-barreled shotgun.
The indictment alleges that Thomas possessed a Glock, 9 mm pistol on December 3, 2008, after being previously convicted of multiple felonies, including Violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, Theft by Taking, Criminal Damage to Property, Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Escape, and Arson. McGee is charged with possessing an unregistered shotgun with a barrel length of less than 12 inches and an overall length of less than 26 inches, also on December 3, 2008. Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm. Possession of a short-barreled shotgun is also prohibited unless the firearm is registered and tax is paid.
The maximum punishment for each of these offenses is ten years in prison. The defendants could also each be fined up to $250,000 and ordered to serve up to three years of supervised release.
McGee and Thomas pled not guilty to the charges against them. Both have also been ordered detained without bond pending trial, which is scheduled for May 17, 2010, at the federal courthouse in Opelika, Alabama.
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, through the joint efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) and the Phenix City Police Department. 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.
PRESS CONTACT: Clark Morris
Email: usaalm.press@usdoj.gov
Telephone: (334) 551-1755
Fax: (334) 223-7617
