Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SAVANNAH, GA:  A Chatham County man with a history of violent behavior has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm.

King Coney, 29, of Savannah, was sentenced to the statutory maximum 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Coney to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his prison sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.

“King Coney has no business carrying a gun,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “His history of violent behavior, particularly toward women and police officers, makes it clear the community will be safer with him disarmed and behind bars.”

Savannah Police officers in August 2020 investigated a report that Coney had pointed a pistol at the head of a pregnant woman and dragged her down the street. When officers located Coney two weeks later and attempted to question him, Coney ran away and was arrested after a brief chase. Officers then found a loaded pistol in his backpack, and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives verified that as a previously convicted felon, Coney is prohibited from possessing firearms. Coney still faces state charges related to the case, including kidnapping, aggravated assault, and cruelty to children.

“The criminal possession and use of firearms by felons is a crime that impacts the safety of our community everyday” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “By imposing the maximum sentence for this crime, the Court has sent a strong message to Coney and others like him that such conduct will not be tolerated.”

In separate cases in U.S. District Court, Judge Baker also sentenced three other defendants to federal prison terms after each pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon:

• Javonta Sheppard, 26, of Savannah, sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release;
• Tyshaun Richey, 25, of Savannah, sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; and,
• Leaa Jones, 23, of Savannah, sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release; and,

The cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Savannah Police Department, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcela C. Mateo, John P. Harper III, and Tania G. Groover.