Macon Felon Hayes Gets 54 Months for Stolen Gun Possession

Howard Paul Hayes, 36, of Warner Robins, Georgia, is headed to federal prison for 54 months after being caught with a stolen Glock semi-automatic pistol in Macon — a crime that slammed shut any hope of freedom for a man already living on the edge of the law. Convicted felon Hayes pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, a charge that carries no parole in the federal system.

The takedown unfolded before sunrise on May 18, 2018, when Georgia State Patrol (GSP) officers pulled Hayes over for driving without headlights. When asked for identification, Hayes didn’t produce a license and instead gave officers a false name. Moments later, he fled in the vehicle, sparking a high-speed chase through city streets. He lost control and crashed, leading to his immediate arrest — a capture made all the more damning by the holster strapped to his body and the stolen gun found under the driver’s seat.

Hayes admitted he knew he wasn’t legally allowed to possess a firearm due to his prior felony convictions. Judge Tillman E. “Tripp” Self handed down the 54-month sentence on Wednesday, August 12, reinforcing federal zero-tolerance for armed felons. U.S. Attorney Charles “Charlie” Peeler made it clear: “It is illegal for convicted felons to possess a firearm. The punishment for those with a criminal record caught with guns is prison time without parole.”

Peeler credited the Georgia State Patrol and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for their swift action and relentless pursuit, calling the arrest a textbook example of interagency cooperation. “I want to thank the GSP and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office for their work in this case,” Peeler said. “This is how we protect our communities — by getting guns out of the hands of violent criminals.”

The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the DOJ’s nationwide initiative to dismantle violent crime networks through targeted enforcement and community collaboration. PSN uses data-driven strategies to identify crime hotspots and deploy resources where they’re needed most — especially against repeat offenders like Hayes.

This prosecution also falls under Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s aggressive anti-gun violence initiative launched in fall 2019. By tightening coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement and boosting background check enforcement, Project Guardian aims to intercept firearms before they fuel more bloodshed. Assistant U.S. Attorney Will R. Keyes handled the prosecution. For more information, contact Pamela Lightsey or Melissa Hodges at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Macon.