MACON, GA – A Macon man with a violent past is facing federal prison time after admitting to illegally possessing a firearm. Jeffery Maurice Willis, 44, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on October 27th before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell, the result of the ongoing ATF-led ‘Operation United Front’.
The bust came after ATF agents documented Willis selling a .44 revolver and ammunition on May 6, 2021, in Macon. What agents discovered during the investigation was that this wasn’t Willis’s first run-in with the law. Court records show Willis was previously convicted of voluntary manslaughter in Bibb County Superior Court on October 20, 1997, and served a ten-year sentence.
Federal prosecutors aren’t taking the repeat offense lightly. Willis now faces a maximum of ten years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a hefty $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary made it clear: “We will use every resource available to protect our communities from the threat of illegal gun possession.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka echoed that sentiment, highlighting the agency’s commitment to community safety. “Cases which result in the arrest and prosecution of violent criminals are fundamental to continuing this initiative,” Kolodka stated. The investigation leveraged the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to link the firearm to potential criminal activity.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis added a stark reminder of the long-term consequences of past actions. “Jeffery Willis is an example of misdeeds happening in the past affecting someone’s future,” Davis said. “Mr. Willis’ prosecution should serve as a reminder that a firearm violence conviction as a young person has serious consequences when that person decides to take up arms later in life.”
The case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program, a nationwide effort to reduce violent crime through targeted enforcement and community partnerships. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is leading the prosecution, with the ATF and Bibb County Sheriff’s Office handling the investigation. The feds are hoping this conviction sends a message to others considering flouting gun laws in Middle Georgia.
Related Federal Cases
- Jeffery Willis, Gun Possession, Macon GA, 2023 · New York
- Adam Gomez, Illegal Gun Possession, New York 2024 · Texas
- Georgia Stillwell, Illegal Gun Possession, Georgia 2024 · Virginia
- Juan Hernandez, Tucson Gun Dealer Peddled Illegal Firearms, Tucson … · Wyoming
- Mario Senior, Federal Gun Possession, GA 2016 · New Jersey
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