Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of an Improvised Explosive Device and Sawed-Off Shotgun

BIRMINGHAM Ala. – An Alabama man has pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of an unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

Key’onstis Maurice Morgan, 24, of Centreville, Alabama, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Anna M. Manasco for illegally possessing a weapon made from a shotgun and a destructive device, specifically an improvised explosive device-type bomb.

According to the plea agreement, Morgan was found in possession of both the firearm and bomb on the night of February 16, 2024. The firearm had been made from a single-shot 20-gauge shotgun and was loaded with a shell. Morgan admitted to sawing off the shotgun’s stock and cutting the barrel down to 13.5 inches in length.

Morgan was also in possession of a cardboard tube wrapped in electrical tape that contained 12 grams of energetic powder and a fuse. Someone weaponized the device by taping or gluing 21 screws, four small razor blades, and assorted staples around the exterior. These small metal pieces would create potentially lethal shrapnel upon explosion.

ATF investigated the case along with the Centreville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer is prosecuting the case.