Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Gun Thief Sentenced in Federal Court
MOBILE, Ala. – Kedrick Lavon Bates, 30, of Marion, was sentenced in federal court today on his conviction for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Bates entered a guilty plea to the charge in April of 2013. Court documents showed that Bates stole a number of guns from the Perry County Sheriff’s Office while he was a trustee. During the investigation, most of the guns were recovered, and Bates admitted the theft. At the time, Bates had prior convictions for possession of marijuana in the first degree and two cases of receiving stolen property in the second degree.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 68 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Bates was ordered to undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse while he is on supervised release. No fine was imposed, but Bates was ordered to pay the special mandatory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the 4th Judicial Circuit Task Force, the Alabama Attorney General’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 Gloria Bedwell.
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