Press Release
Judge Hands Down Strong Sentence To Convicted Felon On Illegal Gun Possession Charge
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Georgia
ATHENS – A federal judge in Athens on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon to 110 months in prison for illegally possessing a gun, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. The Honorable C. Ashley Royal sentenced Dontavious Maurice Jackson, 30, of Athens to 110 months in federal prison, plus three years supervised release. Mr. Jackson pled guilty in October 2018 to one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department executed a legal search at Jackson’s residence in August 2017. Law enforcement recovered 202.2 grams of marijuana, three digital scales and other drug paraphernalia, plus a loaded Ruger .38 special revolver, a loaded Ruger 9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol, a loaded H&R Model 929 .22 caliber revolver, as well as ammunition. Mr. Jackson has a lengthy criminal history and was previously convicted of Entering an Automobile, Forgery in the First Degree, and Possession of a Controlled Substance out of Athens-Clarke County and Jackson County, respectively.
“This sentence demonstrates that convicted felons with illegal weapons will face serious consequences in the Middle District. Removing firearms from the hands of dangerous criminals remains a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “I want to thank the Athens-Clarke County Police Department for their partnership, as we continue to work closely together to decrease violent crime.”
This case is a 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.
The case was investigated by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Easterling prosecuted the case for the Government.
Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Updated March 8, 2019
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Project Safe Neighborhoods
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