Felon in Possession Sentenced in Federal Court

     Acting United States Attorney Steve Butler of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Steven Demote King, 50, of Mobile, was sentenced to 235 months imprisonment on his conviction for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment was returned in April of 2016. The single count indictment charged that King illegally possessed a Jimenez 9 mm handgun on May 19, 2015, after he had been previously convicted of seven prior robbery first degree convictions, one prior robbery second degree conviction, one prior theft first conviction, one prior receiving stolen property conviction, and two prior escape first degree convictions. King pled guilty to the charge in June of 2016. Court documents reflect that his appointed attorney requested that he undergo an examination to determine his competency. District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose ordered that King undergo the examination, which was conducted within the United States Bureau of Prisons. In January of 2017, Judge Dubose conducted a competency hearing and found that King was legally competent. His sentencing hearing was set for April 17.

     At that hearing, the prosecution offered testimony that King had kidnapped a Mobile woman and her three children using the handgun described in the indictment. Evidence from the hearing established that the children were eventually dropped off at a relative’s residence. King and the woman were located by Mobile police officers at an abandoned house in Prichard after they obtained an emergency court order to locate her cell phone. King was in physical possession of the gun when he was arrested. The woman was transported to a local hospital where she was treated and discharged. The prosecutor informed the judge that numerous felony charges were pending against King in Mobile County.

     Judge Dubose imposed a sentence of 235 months, to be followed by a supervised release term of 5 years. She did not order that King pay a fine, but she imposed the special mandatory assessment of $100. She also entered a forfeiture order as to the firearm used in the commission of the crime.

     The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.