An individual from Guatemala has been sentenced to two years in prison for illegal firearm possession. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Joel Armando Martin-Martin, 24, after he pleaded guilty in November 2024 to the charge of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.
Court documents reveal that on August 5, 2024, Martin-Martin was stopped by a Homewood Police Department officer during a traffic stop. The officer detected the smell of marijuana and requested Martin-Martin to exit his vehicle. A subsequent search uncovered a loaded DTI AR-style rifle, 11 magazines for the rifle, ammunition, a loaded Springfield 9mm magazine, and three spent shell casings.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations alongside the Homewood Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Camp.
