MOBILE, AL – Another gun-toting felon off the streets of Mobile. Edwards Cordell Burks, Jr. will spend the next 7 years and 8 months in federal prison after being sentenced to 92 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock handed down the sentence, a small victory in a city increasingly plagued by gun violence.
The case stems from a November 2024 shooting that sent two victims to the hospital with gunshot wounds. Mobile Police Department (MPD) detectives quickly zeroed in on Burks as a suspect, piecing together the puzzle from witness statements and a damning surveillance video from a nearby business. The footage, according to court documents, clearly showed Burks allegedly firing the weapon.
Officers secured the scene on Spring Hill Avenue, recovering three spent bullet casings. A “be on the lookout” (BOLO) was issued, and just two days later, an MPD patrol officer spotted Burks walking less than a mile from the shooting. The officer detained Burks and discovered a loaded firearm tucked into his waistband. It wasn’t just the gun itself that sealed Burks’ fate; it was what the gun did.
Ballistics testing, utilizing the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), confirmed the weapon found on Burks matched the casings recovered from the November shooting. A clear connection. As a convicted felon, Burks was already legally prohibited from possessing a firearm, turning a potential assault case into a federal offense with a significant mandatory minimum sentence. The feds rarely get involved in simple street shootings, so this suggests a deeper investigation or a particularly egregious set of circumstances.
Judge Beaverstock didn’t show leniency, imposing the full 92-month sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. But Burks’ legal troubles aren’t over. He still faces pending state assault charges related to the shooting itself, meaning he could be looking at even more time behind bars. This case is being touted as a win for “Operation Take Back America,” a broad DOJ initiative aimed at tackling violent crime and dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
The investigation was a joint effort between the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Beth Stepan handled the prosecution. While one shooter is behind bars, the streets of Mobile remain dangerous. Grimy Times will continue to track the city’s escalating violence and hold those responsible accountable.
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Key Facts
- State: Alabama
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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