Louisville Resident Guilty Of Federal Firearms And Narcotics
– Crack and AK 47 Assault Rifle
LOUISVILLE, KY – On July 19, 2012, a federal jury convicted Andrew Fields III, 42, of Louisville, of possessing over 28 grams of crack with intent to distribute; possessing an assault rifle in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; announced David J. Hale, United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
During a 2 day trial, a jury heard evidence that on February 17, 2011, Fields sold crack cocaine out of an apartment in the Beecher Terrace housing project, in Louisville. Inside the apartment Fields possessed a fully loaded AK 47 assault rifle in furtherance of this drug trafficking. Fields was a convicted felon, having been convicted in U.S. District Court on October 6, 1993, for carjacking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. As a convicted felon, Fields was prohibited from possessing firearms.
“This case is a good example of how a vigorous partnership between local and federal law enforcement can effectively address violent crime in Louisville and throughout the Western District of Kentucky,” stated U.S. Attorney Hale. “In cases involving repeat violent offenders, federal prosecution often generates severe sentences that ensure violent criminals are removed from the community for a long time.”
Because Fields had previously been convicted of a possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)), his new conviction of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (also a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)) together with his drug conviction means that he now faces a minimum sentence of 30 years. The maximum term of imprisonment he faces is life in prison. In the federal criminal justice system, there is no parole. Fields is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, 2012 at 1 pm.
The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert B. Bonar. The Louisville Metro Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation in partnership, as part of ATF’s ongoing commitment to reduce violent crime and other threats to public safety.
