James Martin Jr., Possession of Stolen Firearms, Lafayette LA, 2016

Lafayette man James Martin Jr., 21, was sentenced Wednesday to 55 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of two stolen pistols — one of which he pointed at a responding officer during a gunfire call in May 2016.

The incident unfolded at the 200 block of East Clinton Street when Lafayette Police arrived to reports of shots fired. Officers found Martin standing with a firearm in hand. When ordered to drop the weapon, Martin didn’t comply — he raised it and aimed directly at the officer. The officer opened fire, striking Martin once in the shoulder. Martin fled, abandoning one of the guns at the scene.

He was later apprehended still in possession of a second firearm. During questioning, Martin admitted both weapons were stolen. The recovered guns included a .45 caliber Sig Sauer P220 and a .40 caliber Sig Sauer P224 — both confirmed by investigators to be previously reported stolen.

U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell handed down the 55-month sentence on a single count of possession of stolen firearms. Martin will also serve three years of supervised release upon his release from prison. The charge carries federal weight due to the interstate nature of stolen firearms trafficking.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lafayette Police Department. Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and Joseph T. Mickel, who emphasized the danger posed by armed individuals with no legal right to possess weapons.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal firearm possession by high-risk offenders. U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley stated the sentence sends a clear message: ‘Pointing a stolen gun at a police officer will result in serious federal time.’