MOBILE, AL – Edwards Cordell Burks, Jr. is facing nearly eight years behind bars after being sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock handed down the sentence, closing one chapter in a case stemming from a brazen shooting in Mobile last November.
The trouble began when the Mobile Police Department (MPD) responded to a local hospital, finding two victims nursing gunshot wounds. Investigators quickly zeroed in on Burks as a suspect, fueled by witness accounts and damning surveillance footage. The video, captured by a nearby business, allegedly shows Burks at the scene of the shooting, which took place off Spring Hill Avenue. Three spent bullet casings were recovered, and a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) was issued for Burks.
Just two days after the gunfire, an MPD officer spotted Burks walking near the crime scene. A routine patrol turned into a significant bust when the officer discovered a loaded firearm tucked into Burks’ waistband. It wasn’t just the presence of the gun that sealed Burks’ fate. Ballistics testing, utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), confirmed the firearm was the very same one used in the earlier shooting.
As a convicted felon, Burks was already legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. This fact dramatically compounded the severity of the charges. Judge Beaverstock didn’t mince words, imposing the 92-month sentence alongside a three-year term of supervised release once Burks is released from prison. The sentencing doesn’t end here, however; Burks still faces separate state assault charges related to the actual shooting, which are currently pending.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Stepan spearheaded the prosecution. The case is being highlighted as a success story under “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling criminal organizations and combating violent crime.
Operation Take Back America, according to DOJ officials, seeks to streamline resources from existing programs like the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to aggressively target illegal immigration, cartels, and those responsible for violent acts within communities. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who illegally possess firearms and engage in violence will be aggressively pursued and held accountable.
RELATED: Mobile Shooter Burks Gets 92 Months
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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