Montgomery Man Convicted Of Illegally Possessing A Firearm

            Montgomery, Ala. –    On Monday, August 9, 2021, Timothy Jerome Russell, 43, from Montgomery, Alabama, was convicted by a federal jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.

            According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on August 16, 2018, Montgomery police officers were patrolling an area near Ann Street when they saw a vehicle with a suspended tag. When the driver of the car pulled into a gas station, the officers followed and made contact with Russell, who was the driver and only person in the vehicle. When officers ran his driver’s license through dispatch, they learned that Russell had several outstanding arrest warrants. Officers then had Russell exit the car and he was detained. When officers asked if anything illegal was in the car, Russell said he had marijuana and a pistol in the center console. The car was searched, and they found a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, along with marijuana and other controlled substances. Russell has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing firearms. He was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm by a federal grand jury on February 12, 2020.

            Russell’s sentencing hearing will be schedule in the next few months and he faces a sentence of up to ten years in prison.

            This case was investigated by the Montgomery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon Bates and Brett Talley prosecuted the case.