Kevin Martin Gentry, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Silencer, Mississippi 2020

Gulfport, Miss. – In a shocking display of disregard for the law, Canton man Kevin Martin Gentry, 38, has been sentenced to 23 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm silencer not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

The crime unfolded on October 9, 2019, in Long Beach, Mississippi, where police responded to a report of an aggravated assault in progress at a local apartment. Officers made contact with Gentry, who was armed with a knife, disarmed him, and detained him. Further investigation revealed that Gentry had initiated the altercation by forcing himself into the apartment residence displaying a knife.

Long Beach Police officers located Gentry’s vehicle parked near the crime scene, and detectives were granted a search warrant from Long Beach Municipal Court. During the execution of the search warrant, police found a short-barreled rifle with a silencer. The ATF examined the recovered firearm and measured its barrel length and overall length, revealing a barrel length of approximately 7 ¾ inches and an overall length of approximately 26 ¼ inches.

The measurements revealed that the firearm was a short-barreled rifle and silencer, both of which would require federal registration. The ATF investigation further revealed that the firearm was not manufactured in Mississippi, and neither the short-barreled rifle nor the silencer were registered as required in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Gentry admitted to sole possession of the short-barreled rifle and the silencer, acknowledging that he made the silencer and adapted it to fit onto the rifle. He also acknowledged that the silencer was threaded to fit onto the rifle.

Gentry was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 6, 2019, and pled guilty before Judge Sul Ozerden on February 20, 2020. U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst commended the coordinated investigation by the ATF and the Long Beach Police Department, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.

Gentry’s sentence marks a significant crackdown on those who disregard the law and put innocent lives at risk. The 23-month prison sentence sends a clear message that violating firearms laws will not be tolerated.

The defendant, Kevin Martin Gentry, 38, of Canton, Mississippi, will serve 23 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/canton-man-sentenced-almost-two-years-prison-illegal-possession-unregistered-firearm