Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Cosby Resident Sentenced to Serve 79 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Stolen Firearms
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On March 27, 2018, Rodney Shackleford, 26, of Cosby, Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge, to serve 79 months in federal prison for possessing stolen firearms. Shackleford pleaded guilty to a one-count information in October 2016.
Two accomplices of Shackleford, James Summers, 26, and Tiffany Gentry, 32, both of Newport Tennessee, were indicted in October 2016 and also charged with possession of stolen firearms. Additionally, Summers was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and Gentry was charged with lying to the government. Summers previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November 2017 to serve 84 months in federal prison. Gentry also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation.
According to the plea agreement on file with U.S. District Court, in February 2016, Shackleford and Summers burglarized a residence in Newport, Tennessee, and stole, among other things, seven firearms. One of the firearms included a high-capacity magazine capable of holding 30 rounds of ammunition. The stolen firearms were loaded into a vehicle belonging to Gentry and driven back to the motel where they all resided. Summers and Gentry made an agreement to sell the firearms to a relative of Gentry and use the proceeds to purchase illegal narcotics.
Agencies involved in the investigation of this case included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cocke County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney TJ Harker represented the United States in Court proceedings.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.
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