Evergreen Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

MOBILE, AL – An Evergreen man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Cornelius Antoine Dean, 34, was arrested by Alabama State Troopers during a traffic stop in Evergreen on July 11, 2023. Troopers smelled marijuana emanating from a vehicle in which Dean was a passenger. During a pat-down search of Dean, Troopers located and seized a .45 caliber pistol in his waistband. In the backseat of the vehicle, within reaching distance of Dean, agents found a bag containing multiple individually packaged baggies of marijuana and a digital scale near Dean’s Alabama identification card.

In an interview following his arrest, Dean admitted that he possessed the .45 caliber pistol and had previously been convicted of a felony drug-distribution crime. Dean’s prior felony conviction made his possession of the pistol illegal under federal law. Dean admitted that he knew he was not supposed to possess a firearm.

In addition to the 46-month prison sentence, United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer ordered Dean to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Dean to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited Dean’s pistol to the United States.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).