Sean P. Costello U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama
A Mobile County woman, Heather Ashley Stringfellow, has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock on February 23, 2026.
According to court documents, deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Stringfellow’s residence in Grand Bay, Alabama, on August 2, 2024. During the search, Stringfellow was found in bed in the master bedroom. Deputies discovered a Taurus GX4 semi-automatic pistol under the bed and also located a purse belonging to Stringfellow containing marijuana, Xanax bars, and a small amount of methamphetamine. Stringfellow admitted that multiple people sold drugs from her home.
Investigators obtained evidence from text messages where Stringfellow sent a picture of the firearm and wrote: “I bought a pistol.” The image matched the gun recovered during the search. Authorities also reported that while in jail, Stringfellow made a recorded phone call asking another person to sign an affidavit falsely claiming ownership of the weapon by stating it belonged to her deceased father who previously lived in the same trailer.
Stringfellow has eight prior felony convictions including money laundering (2017), possession of a controlled substance (2013), identity theft (2013), obstructing justice-false identification (2013), two counts of possession of forged instruments (2006 and 2011), robbery second degree (2011), and theft of property first degree (2006).
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello announced the sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which is an initiative aimed at using Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration issues, dismantle criminal organizations such as cartels and transnational groups, and enhance community safety by targeting violent crime perpetrators.
