A gang member from Valdosta, Georgia, has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for firearm-related charges.
Xavier Rashad Brooks, 31, was sentenced by District Judge Hugh Lawson to over eight years in prison, followed by a supervised release period of three years, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, the Department of Justice reported in a release.
This sentence will be in addition to any prison term that may be imposed on a charge pending in the Superior Court of Brooks County, Georgia, the DOJ reported. The federal system does not allow for parole.
"This sentence makes it very clear that criminals who repeatedly break the law and continue to possess illegal firearms, will be held accountable with lengthy prison terms," Phillip Wislar, acting special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in the release. "Our partnership with local law enforcement agencies, like the Remerton Police Department and the Valdosta Police Department, make these arrests possible and ultimately make our communities safer."
Court documents show that Brooks was a member of the Gangster Disciples gang who was recently released from prison after serving an armed robbery sentence of 10 years, the DOJ reported. Soon after his release, an officer saw Brooks walking towards an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle connected to a firearm-discharge complaint. An investigation eventually uncovered a loaded Glock semiautomatic pistol that had been in Brooks' possession.
