Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced this week on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.

Christopher Jawan Weaver, 39, was sentenced on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Weaver was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala to 57 months of imprisonment followed by 24 months of supervised release.

In April 2021, Weaver was involved in a domestic altercation with a juvenile while armed with a firearm. During the altercation, Weaver struck the juvenile in the face with the firearm, causing a large laceration above the juvenile’s left eye. The juvenile was taken by ambulance to the hospital where the juvenile received stitches to close the wound. Weaver was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he has three prior Alabama state court felony convictions for Robbery, First Degree.

“Our law enforcement partners are keenly aware that domestic abusers and firearms are a deadly combination,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “Those who commit a domestic violence offense while illegally armed with a firearm will draw the attention of federal law enforcement and the imposition of strict federal penalties.”

“ATF will continue to combat violent crime by holding individuals who unlawfully and knowingly possess firearms and use them to commit crimes of violence. Domestic violence is a growing problem across the country, and we will tirelessly fight to keep the citizens in our communities safe. Federal law prohibits individuals who have been convicted of domestic violence from legally possessing firearms” said ATF SAC Mickey French.

The ATF investigated the case along with the Lipscomb Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darius Greene and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.