Savannah Felon Kearse Gets 10 Years for Illegal Firearm Possession

SAVANNAH, GA — Matthew Kearse, 30, of Savannah, is back behind bars — sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, a move that slammed the door on his fleeting taste of freedom just months after release.

Kearse, a convicted felon, was found guilty by a U.S. District Court jury in August after a mere 15 minutes of deliberation. The swift verdict followed trial evidence showing Kearse had possession of a pistol found in his aunt’s backyard in November 2018. Surveillance footage placed him at the scene, and DNA testing confirmed his contact with the weapon. Judge William T. Moore Jr. handed down the 10-year sentence and tacked on three years of supervised release post-incarceration — a reminder that parole does not exist in the federal system.

“Matthew Kearse knew, as a previously convicted felon, that he was prohibited from carrying a gun, but he did so anyway,” said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “He had been out of prison for barely four months when he was caught with a pistol, and squandered his brief time of freedom.”

The case was built with help from the Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Agents seized the firearm after Kearse’s aunt alerted authorities, disturbed by the discovery of the weapon on her property. ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka didn’t mince words: “Mr. Kearse’s story is one that is all too common. Convicted felons have no business possessing firearms and Mr. Kearse’s acquisition of a firearm within four months of his release from prison has resulted in his return to prison for a long time.”

In the past three years alone, over 700 defendants have faced federal charges in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses — most tied to felons caught with guns. Federal law bars nine categories of individuals from possessing firearms, including felons, illegal aliens, and unlawful drug users. It’s also a crime to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking or violent crime, or to lie on ATF Form 4473 during a purchase.

The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua S. Bearden and Marcela C. Mateo. As federal authorities continue cracking down on illegal gun possession, Kearse’s case stands as a grim reminder: for felons caught with firearms, prison doors swing shut fast — and stay closed for a long time.

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