Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty in Macon PSN Case

MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident with prior felony convictions who was found in possession of a firearm during the course of an investigation into a check cashing scheme has pleaded guilty to a federal gun charge.

Jesse Seabolt, 42, of Macon, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Thursday, Jan. 6. Seabolt is facing a maximum ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 6. There is no parole in the federal system.

“Individuals with prior felonies are breaking federal law when they are arrested in possession of a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Convicted felons face the possibility of federal prosecution when they make the choice to illegally carry a weapon.”

According to court documents, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) was investigating Seabolt for an alleged fraudulent check cashing scheme that occurred in June 2020. During the course of the investigation, a search warrant was obtained and officers executed the search warrant at Seabolt’s home on Aug. 28, 2020. In plain view, next to Seabolt’s mobile phone, was a 9mm pistol. Seabolt was previously convicted of multiple felony offenses including escape, forgery, unlawful possession of another’s identification documents, and unlawful acquisition, possession or transfer of a financial transaction card in Weber County, Utah. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

The case was investigated by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Kalim is prosecuting the case for the Government.