Slaughter, Caught With a Gun During a Domestic Violence Call, Pleads Guilty

MACON, Ga. – A convicted felon, caught with a loaded illegal weapon when law enforcement responded to a domestic violence call, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm illegally, said Charles “Charlie” Peeler, the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Freddie Slaughter, Jr., 40, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Tripp Self today. Slaughter faces a maximum ten years in federal prison. Judge Self scheduled sentencing for December 8, 2020.

According to the stipulation of fact, law enforcement was dispatched to a Macon residence on June 9, 2019, in reference to an alleged domestic disturbance involving Slaughter. When officers arrived at the scene and told the defendant they were responding to a possible domestic violence incident, Slaughter ran. Officers detained Slaughter, and a loaded semiautomatic pistol fell out of his pocket. Slaughter has several prior felony convictions, including robbery by sudden snatching in the Superior Court of Bibb County, Georgia on June 27, 2005. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

“Convicted felons illegally possessing guns in the Middle District of Georgia face federal prosecution and federal prison, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney Peeler. “I want to thank the ATF and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for their work taking guns out of the hands of convicted felons in Middle Georgia.”

This case was prosecuted as 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.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/archives/projectguardian.

The case was investigated by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes is prosecuting 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.