Jury Convicts Felon for Illegally Possessing a Firearm Brandished at Wal-Mart Customers

MACON, Ga. –A Macon resident with a lengthy criminal history who carried a gun into a Macon Wal-Mart and waved it aggressively at customers was convicted by a federal jury for illegally possessing a firearm.

Selma Oliver-Smith, 45, of Macon, was convicted on April 11 of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a two-day trial that began on April 10 before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III. Oliver-Smith faces a maximum of ten years in prison, to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for illegally possessing a firearm. Sentencing is scheduled for July 11.

“Not only is it illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm anytime and anywhere, Mr. Oliver-Smith chose to walk into a neighborhood store and wave a gun at customers. Thankfully, no shots were fired, and no one was hurt,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office will prosecute convicted felons caught illegally with firearms, especially those who brandish them in public places.”

“When offenders such as this use firearms to threaten individuals, ATF takes this very seriously,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “ATF remains on the frontline of preventing violent crime along with our law enforcement partners and will continue to pursue those who violate the law.”

 “Selma Oliver-Smith’s arrest and conviction shows that the justice system will not tolerate dangerous career criminals using a firearm to menace innocent shoppers in a busy Walmart,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call from the Wal-Mart on Harrison Rd. in Macon on Aug. 17, 2021, about a man aggressively waving a gun at people who approached him inside the store. Because of Oliver-Smith’s criminal record, he was known to officers, and he was located thereafter at a nearby motel. Oliver-Smith was found inside his hotel room, where officers found two firearms hidden inside the toilet bowl tank. One of the firearms, a Jennings Firearms Bryco .380, looked identical to the one in the photo provided by Wal-Mart. Oliver-Smith has a lengthy criminal history to include convictions for burglary, theft by taking and second-degree criminal damage. 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. Attorneys Sean S. Deitrick and Sonja Profit are prosecuting the case for the Government.