Dontray Lewis, Gun Possession, Savannah GA, 2022

SAVANNAH, GA – Dontray Lewis, 43, of Savannah, is facing a decade behind bars after a federal jury found him guilty of illegally packing heat. Lewis was sentenced to 120 months in prison – the maximum allowed – for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, U.S. Attorney David H. Estes announced Friday. He’ll also be under supervised release for three years after he gets out, though in the federal system, there’s no chance for parole.

The case stems from a May 2020 traffic stop where Lewis initially tried to ditch cops. A search of his vehicle revealed a Glock semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. As a repeat offender with prior convictions, Lewis was legally barred from owning a firearm. This wasn’t his first rodeo with the law, and the judge clearly wasn’t impressed with his track record.

“Despite multiple trips to jail and to prison for crimes including guns, violence and drugs, Dontray Lewis has refused abundant opportunities to reform,” Estes stated. The U.S. Attorney’s office clearly views Lewis as a danger to the public, and the lengthy sentence reflects that assessment. The conviction followed a three-day trial in August 2020.

Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Atlanta Field Division, didn’t mince words. “This sentence is a direct message to criminals that ATF will not allow egregious violations of our laws go unpunished. If you a felon with a gun, you will be targeted, and we will ensure that you are prosecuted and removed from our streets.” It’s a tough-on-crime stance that the ATF is actively pushing.

The investigation was a joint effort between the ATF and the Savannah Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank M. Pennington II and Daron J. Hubbard handled the prosecution. This case was brought under the umbrella of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at coordinating law enforcement efforts to reduce violent crime.

Lewis’s lengthy criminal history, combined with the illegal possession of a loaded handgun, sealed his fate. The ten-year sentence sends a clear message: in the Southern District of Georgia, felons caught with firearms will face the full weight of the law. The streets of Savannah are a little safer with Lewis off them, at least for the next decade.

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