Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison
ATLANTA – William Gerard Brown, a five-time convicted felon, has been sentenced for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“Repeat offenders in possession of firearms pose grave risks to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Brown has repeatedly ignored the law and will now have to face the consequences of his actions.”
“ATF considers the Atlanta Police Department a critical partner in its long-term mission of removing criminals from our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) Beau Kolodka.
According to U.S. Attorney Pak, the charges and the record developed at trial: On April 28, 2017, Brown, a five-time convicted felon, was standing near a fence at a public park holding what appeared to be a marijuana joint in his hand. Atlanta Police Officers approached Brown and attempted to speak with him. In the middle of their conversation, Brown abruptly fled on foot through the park, passing several people, including children, in an attempt to run away from police.
As Brown ran into the wood line near the park, he pulled a firearm from his waistband and threw it. Moments later, the officers apprehended Brown. At that time he was in possession of approximately 25 grams of marijuana. Officers subsequently canvassed Brown’s flightpath and located the handgun Brown pulled from his waistband and threw on the ground during the foot chase.
U.S. District Judge Eleanor L. Ross sentenced William Gerard Brown, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 15 years in federal prison, and five years of supervised release. On March 29, 2019, Brown was found guilty by a jury of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atlanta Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Morris and Noah Schechtman prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
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