GA Man Gray Sentenced for Gun Possession

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The grim tale of a Georgia man with a violent past has reached its conclusion in the federal courts of West Virginia. Jeremiah Clinton Gray, 43, from Blue Ridge, Georgia, was today sentenced to one year and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the heinous crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Court documents and statements revealed that on July 22, 2024, law enforcement officers were called to a business in Jackson County, Ohio, where they found Gray with a firearm, body armor, and a fake badge. In a daring escape attempt, Gray fled from an attempted traffic stop, leading police into West Virginia. The chase ended when Gray’s vehicle was stopped using spike strips in Charleston, resulting in his arrest.

Upon searching Gray, officers discovered a loaded Taurus model 1911 Officer 9mm pistol on his person and a loaded Mossberg model 590 Shockwave .410-gauge shotgun in the vehicle. Federal law is clear: persons with prior felony convictions are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Gray’s previous felony conviction was for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, a crime committed in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 20, 2023.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the sentence, commending the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the West Virginia State Police, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence, while Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.

This harrowing incident is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation leverages resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

For further information on this case, including related court documents and details, visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website or search PACER using Case No. 2:25-cr-35.

RELATED: Vegas Dealer Gets 11 Years for Meth & Ghost Gun Empire

RELATED: Memphis Man Gets Nine Years for Shooting at Deputies