A Minneapolis man, George Matthews IV, has been sentenced to six years in prison for illegal firearm possession. The sentence includes three additional years of supervised release, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

The incident leading to Matthews' arrest occurred on June 11, 2024. An anonymous caller reported that a man had threatened to shoot the caller’s boyfriend while on a light-rail train in Minneapolis. The caller described the suspect and mentioned he was carrying a firearm in a blue nylon drawstring backpack.

Police officers responded at the Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue station, where they identified Matthews based on the description provided. When approached by officers, Matthews fled and abandoned his backpack. Inside it, police found a Kimber Micro 9mm pistol with ammunition.

Due to previous felony convictions for aggravated robbery, Matthews is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. He pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a felon on September 11, 2024.

Matthews received his sentence from Judge John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court on January 15, 2025.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with Metro Transit Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes prosecuted the case.