Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Matthew John Cobb, 35, of Castleberry, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Cobb pleaded guilty to the charge in April of 2020.

In connection with his guilty plea, Cobb admitted that in June 2019, law enforcement officials were investigating him as a suspect in string of hunting-camp burglaries that resulted in several stolen firearms. On June 13, 2019, a special response team located Cobb in the attic of a residence in Brooklyn, Alabama. Officers found a backpack in the attic that contained stolen items, including a .45-caliber handgun. During a post-Miranda interview, Cobb admitted that he possessed the handgun that was recovered from the backpack inside the attic. Cobb also acknowledged that he was a convicted felon and was aware that he was not supposed to possess firearms. At the time he possessed the firearm, Cobb had a prior felony conviction for Theft of Property, First Degree in the Circuit Court of Conecuh County, Alabama.

Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose imposed a sentence of 37 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Cobb will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Cobb to pay $100 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh.

###