Convicted Felon Arrested on Drug and Gun Charges

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Federal agents on Friday arrested a convicted felon on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and  Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.

A three-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Antuan Cornell Riggs, 30, of Pleasant Grove, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to the indictment, in February 2019, Riggs illegally possessed a Diamondback .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, marijuana, hydrocodone and methamphetamine.

The maximum penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison.

The maximum penalty for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance is 20 years in prison.

The minimum penalty for possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime is five years in prison, which must run consecutive to any other sentence.

ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Baty is prosecuting the case. 

This case is 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. 

An indictment contains only charges.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.