Mobile Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, following a trial held in October 2023, the jury convicted James Pettway of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pettway has at least two prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. In November 2022, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Pettway during a robbery investigation. When law enforcement approached Pettway, he had a firearm in his waistband. Today United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Pettway to 15 years in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, which is the statutory maximum sentence. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tandice Blackwood and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.