Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years in Prison for being a Career Offender in Possession of a Machine Gun

ATLANTA - Franklin Latimore has been sentenced to thirteen years, three months in federal prison for possessing an unregistered machine gun while being a felon.  Latimore is considered a “career offender” under federal law because he has two prior felony convictions for either a crime of violence or a drug trafficking offense.   

“Machine guns are an especially dangerous category of firearms,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn.  “When these weapons are possessed by individuals with serious criminal histories, the threat that machine guns pose increases exponentially.”

“The law abiding citizens of this community are safer because of today’s sentence which will ensure the incarceration of a dangerous criminal and contribute to the restoration of order and peace to this area,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Carl Walker. 

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court:  Latimore first came to the attention of police after a court-authorized wiretap intercepted a conversation concerning the sale of a large amount of cocaine.  Police did not know who the buyer was going to be, but knew the location and time of the supposed deal.  On that date and time, police made a lawful traffic stop of a vehicle that Latimore was driving near the drug deal and found over $100,000 in the trunk. 

A few days later, a search warrant was served on Latimore’s residence and police found the loaded machine gun, a second firearm, a kilogram press typically used by drug dealers to create brick-shaped blocks of drugs, and material commonly used to package drugs.  Latimore’s criminal history is so severe that special enhanced sentencing applies to him. 

Franklin Latimore, 60, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., to thirteen years, three months in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit all firearms.   Latimore has been convicted on these charges on December 15, 2015, after he pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorneys Suzette A. Smikle, Michael Brown, and Kim S. Dammers prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.