Press Release
Georgia Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts
BOSTON – A Georgia man was sentenced on May 13, 2021 in federal court in Boston for illegal possession of a semi-automatic pistol.
Herbert Palmer, 39, of Decatur, Ga., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 32 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 15, 2021, Palmer pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Aug. 12, 2020, police were dispatched to an apartment in New Bedford following a report of a disturbance where a man had a gun and was pointing it to a woman’s head. After police arrived, the man, later identified as Palmer, exited the apartment and told police that he had a knife on his person. A search of Palmer revealed he had a folding knife and firearm magazine loaded with four rounds of .380 caliber ammunition, which Palmer claimed to be carrying because it did not fit his BB gun, although he denied having a gun.
A witness informed police that Palmer had pointed a small black gun at individuals while inside the apartment that evening and that when Palmer manipulated the firearm, the magazine dropped out of the firearm and fell to the floor. Palmer picked up the magazine and then proceeded to the second floor to change his clothing.
Police searched the apartment and located a Lorcin, Model 380. .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol in a second floor bedroom. Authorities confirmed the ammunition recovered from Palmer’s person was the same caliber as the firearm.
Palmer was convicted in 2010 of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Joseph C. Cordeiro made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Updated May 18, 2021
Topic
Firearms Offenses
Component