Category: US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Montavius Hancock, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States (mail theft and unlawful possession of a USPS arrow key) and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  Hancock pleaded guilty to these offenses on August 21, 2024.

Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), which oversees North Carolina, Jeff Krafels, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on January 13, 2024, Hancock was observed stealing U.S. mail from a business park in Charlotte using an “arrow key,” which is a master key used by the U.S. Postal Service. CMPD officers responded to the scene and attempted to stop Hancock’s vehicle as he fled the area. After Hancock was taken into custody, CMPD officers searched his vehicle where they recovered stolen mail from several locations around Charlotte. The face value of the checks contained within the stolen mail was over $400,000.

Hancock was also sentenced today for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after he was charged under a separate criminal indictment. Court records show that on December 22, 2023, CMPD officers arrested Hancock for possessing a Smith and Wesson, model M&P Shield EZ, 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. Hancock has previous felony convictions, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the USPIS, USPS-OIG and CMPD for their investigation and recognized the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for its invaluable assistance with the firearm investigation.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Kinlaw with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.

To report suspected mail theft, and other mail-related crimes, tips, or incidents go to https://mailtheft.uspis.gov/ or call USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. Call 911 to report an active crime in progress.

 

 

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 5, 2025.

Jeremy Highhorse, 19, was sentenced to two years and 10 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Highhorse was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.

In April 2024, law enforcement received a report of shots fired. Highhorse was the driver of a vehicle that matched descriptions of a vehicle seen speeding away after shots were fired. Law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle Highhorse was driving. Instead of pulling over, Highhorse led law enforcement on a high-speed car chase. When the car came to a stop, Highhorse was arrested, and inside the vehicle was a firearm. Highhorse discharged this firearm that day, and he had come into possession of the firearm by stealing it. The vehicle Highhorse was driving was reported stolen by the same person he stole the firearm from. Highhorse was using controlled substances that day as well. It is unlawful to possess a firearm as an active user of controlled substances.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

Highhorse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

The Stolen Weapons Are Being Recovered by Police in Multiple States in Relation to Shootings, Other Crimes

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

RAPID CITY – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 5, 2025.

James Ladeaux, Jr., 35, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Ladeaux was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.

In July 2024, law enforcement observed Ladeaux driving a vehicle and failing to stop at a stop sign. When law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Ladeaux drove off at a high rate of speed and a pursuit was initiated. The pursuit ended when a tire came off the vehicle Ladeaux was driving. Ladeaux fled on foot but was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement. Officers located a firearm and ammunition in Ladeaux’s vehicle. Ladeaux was previously convicted of a felony, making it unlawful for him to possess the firearm and ammunition.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.

Ladeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

PIERRE – United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2025.

Stephen Biviano Zapata, age 28, was sentenced to two years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

Zapata was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025.

This conviction stems from a traffic stop on March 27, 2024, in Lower Brule, in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. Law enforcement was aware Zapata had an outstanding tribal arrest warrant. Upon his arrest officers searched Zapata’s person and vehicle locating three baggies containing methamphetamine, other drug paraphernalia, and an AR-style semi-automatic rifle with two magazines containing 48 rounds of ammunition. Zapata admitted to being a methamphetamine user and submitted a sample for urinalysis testing that was positive for methamphetamine. Zapata is prohibited from possessing firearms based on his drug use.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.

Zapata was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. 

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jeremiah Clinton Gray, 42, of Blue Ridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 22, 2024, law enforcement responded to reports of a man inside a Jackson County, Ohio, business with a firearm, body armor and a badge. The individual, later identified as Gray, left the business in a vehicle without a license plate and fled from an attempted traffic stop by law enforcement. The resulting pursuit led law enforcement into West Virginia, where the vehicle was stopped in Charleston with the assistance of spike strips. Gray was arrested and officers found a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on his person and a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun in the vehicle.

Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Gray knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of cocaine in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.

Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-35.

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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

            Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today that a Rex, Georgia man has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. On May 6, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 40-year-old Johnques Wyndell Lupoe to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

            According to court records, in late 2022, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) received information about a suspicious individual near the grounds of one of their facilities in Barbour County during the early morning hours. When officers arrived to investigate, they discovered a duffle bag containing multiple items classified as prison contraband, including a substance later confirmed to be methamphetamine. No individuals were located in the immediate vicinity at the time.

            Later that morning, law enforcement officers encountered a man matching the suspect’s description at a nearby location. The individual, identified as Johnques Lupoe, admitted to being on the prison property earlier. Officers also discovered a handgun in his possession. Due to a prior felony conviction, Lupoe is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

            On January 30, 2025, Lupoe pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

            The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Department of Corrections (ALDOC) Law Enforcement Services Division, and the Barbour County, Alabama Sheriff’s Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with nine prior felony convictions was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison after robbing a local Whataburger at gunpoint and firing a shot inside the restaurant to effectuate the robbery.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on June 10, 2023, Jonas Brandon Sanchez, 40, entered the Whataburger in the South Valley, brandished a 9mm “ghost gun” equipped with a high-capacity magazine, and stole approximately $60. During the robbery, Sanchez fired a round into a wall when an employee walked away, endangering everyone present. The incident was captured on multiple high-resolution surveillance cameras.

On July 7, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence, recovering the firearm used in the robbery and the clothing he wore during the crime. Ballistics analysis from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) matched the shell casing found at the scene to Sanchez’s pistol. At the time of the offense, Sanchez was a nine-time convicted felon.

Upon his release from prison, Sanchez will be subject to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman made the announcement today.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Haynes is prosecuting this case as part of an agreement with the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Through the agreement, Assistant District Attorneys are designated Special Assistant United States Attorneys (SAUSAs) in the United States Attorney’s Office. The SAUSA from the Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office screens felony criminal complaints filed in Bernalillo County for federal criminal offenses, prioritizing federal charges against those who drive violence in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Since 2020, the United States Attorney’s Office has reviewed almost 3,000 cases and has charged more than 300 criminal cases pursuant to this program.

The United States Attorney’s Office has similar agreements with the New Mexico Department of Justice and the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office and plans to expand the program throughout the state. 

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

JAMES GRAHAM, also known as “Little Cuz,” 25, formerly of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for an offense stemming from his participation in the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang.

Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang.  On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging Graham and 15 other 960 gang members with various offenses, including racketeering, narcotics trafficking, firearm possession, murder, attempted murder and assault, and obstruction of justice offenses.

On November 22, 2017, 960 members Zaekwon McDaniel, Tahjay Love, and Malik Bayon shot at Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos who were in a car at a restaurant in Waterbury.  Lewis sped from the scene at a high-rate of speed and crashed into a house at the intersection of Wolcott Street and Dallas Avenue in Waterbury.  Lewis, 22, and Santos, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene.  On October 19, 2019, Graham and Love, who were incarcerated in state custody, assaulted another inmate who they believed had reported to law enforcement Love’s role in the shooting.

On February 14, 2024, a jury found Graham guilty of obstruction of justice, and Love, McDaniel, Bayon guilty of offenses related to their participation in 960 and the deaths of Lewis and Santos.

Graham is currently serving a 52-year state sentence for murder, robbery, and firearm offenses related to his role in the murder of an 18-year-old victim in Hamden on November 13, 2017.  Judge Dooley ordered Graham’s federal sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

Love, McDaniel, and Bayon await sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter.

This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

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Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joshua Paul Stewart Turner, 25, of Summerville, and Noah Olen Fowler, 26, of Moncks Corner, have each been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to straw-purchase a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Fowler, knowing Turner was prohibited from possessing and/or purchasing a firearm, purchased a firearm for Turner. During the purchase of the firearm, Fowler false certified on the ATF Form 4473 that he was purchasing the firearm for himself. Evidence also revealed that Turner sent Fowler information on which firearm to purchase and, further, paid him for the firearm via CashApp. When Fowler purchased the firearm for Turner he was employed as a correctional officer at the Berkeley County Detention Center.

“Straw purchases undermine our efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of those legally prohibited from possessing them,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who attempt to circumnavigate the proper procedure to purchase firearms.”

“Straw purchasing is a dangerous tactic that circumvents our laws and puts guns in the hands of prohibited individuals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “Whether you are the prohibited individual in possession of a firearm or the individual who lied to supply that firearm, both are considered threats to public safety and both face serious consequences.”

“Weapons in the hands of those prohibited from possessing them are a direct threat to public,” said Reid Davis, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “These sentences underscore the serious consequences of violating federal firearms laws and send a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring those who violate these laws are held accountable.”

United States District Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Turner to 20 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. United States District Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Fowler to a time-served sentence, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022.  The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI Columbia field office, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.

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