MACON, Ga. - A convicted felon, caught in illegal possession of a firearm, pleaded guilty to his crime this morning in federal court, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.
Shakqylion Coxton, 26, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Coxton is facing a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for May 19. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Convicted felons, especially those with violent criminal histories, who illegally possess firearms will face federal prosecution and the possibility of a lengthy federal prison sentence without parole," said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “I want to thank the Georgia State Patrol, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and ATF for their combined efforts investigating this case."
Coxton was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol trooper for a traffic violation in Macon at 12:58 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2020. When the trooper approached the defendant’s vehicle to obtain his driver’s license and vehicle information, he observed a revolver in plain view on the passenger seat next to Coxton, which later was found to be a loaded.38 Special. The defendant was previously convicted of robbery by force, a felony, in the Superior Court of Bibb County on July 11, 2011. Coxton admits he knew it was illegal for him to possess a firearm because he is a convicted felon.
The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
The case was investigated by the Georgia State Patrol, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard prosecuted the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Officer (Contractor), U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
