MACON, GA – Martell McCoy is heading to federal prison for a decade after being sentenced to 120 months – the maximum allowed – for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentencing, handed down February 14, 2018, by Judge Marc T. Treadwell, closes a case that exposed McCoy’s blatant disregard for the law and the safety of others.
The bust went down June 4, 2016, when law enforcement descended on a residence at 176 Helen Circle in Milledgeville. They weren’t there for a social call. Authorities had received credible information that McCoy was at the location, a place he was explicitly forbidden from entering by a prior court order. Inside, officers found McCoy and, following a search, uncovered not only powder cocaine but also a loaded Lorcin .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
This wasn’t McCoy’s first rodeo with the law. Records show prior felony convictions for attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine and aggravated assault – a history that clearly didn’t deter him. He’d already proven himself a danger, and the latest incident confirmed his continued willingness to break the law and risk public safety.
United States Attorney Charles E. Peeler didn’t mince words when discussing the case. “This is the case of a person with a prior felony conviction for a violent crime who not only ignored the law which prevented him from possessing a firearm, but did so at a home from which he had been barred for the protection of those living there,” Peeler stated. “Since there is no parole in the federal system, at least for the next ten years Mr. McCoy won’t be able to thumb his nose at the law, the courts and society in the manner in which he did in this situation.”
The prosecution of McCoy was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal initiative designed to unite law enforcement agencies at all levels to combat violent crime. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recognizing the rising tide of violence across the country, recently reinvigorated PSN, pushing U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop targeted crime reduction strategies. This case stands as a direct result of that renewed focus.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Easterling successfully prosecuted the case. Anyone with questions regarding this matter can contact Pamela Lightsey at the United States Attorney’s Office at (478) 621-2603. McCoy’s decade behind bars sends a clear message: illegally possessing firearms after a felony conviction will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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