Convicted felons sentenced to federal prison for carrying guns

SAVANNAH, Georgia: Two Chatham County men have been sentenced to federal prison in separate cases after pleading guilty to firearms possession.

The sentencings before U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker were announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:

• Javell D. Wright, 35, of Savannah, sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers responded in February 2025 to reports of a domestic dispute with shots fired, and later arrested Wright during a traffic stop and found a pistol in his vehicle. Wright’s criminal history includes multiple state convictions for illegal gun possession.
• Amir Rashad Shaheed-Ali, 29, of Savannah, sentenced to 55 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police found Shaheed-Ali in possession of a pistol during a December 2024 traffic stop.

Judge Baker also ordered each of the men to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.

“We commend the officers of the Savannah Police Department for their continued vigilance in removing violent criminals from the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The message to convicted felons is clear: If you carry a gun, you’re going to prison.”

The cases were investigated by the Savannah Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese and Ryan E. Bondura.