Robert Bentley Davis, Domestic Violence Offender, Georgia 2017

NEWNAN, Ga. – Robert Bentley Davis, 60, of LaGrange, Georgia, was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possessing a sawed-off shotgun.

The Troup County Sheriff’s deputies discovered the weapon in Davis’s residence after responding to a domestic violence call on September 12, 2017. Davis’s wife informed the deputies that her husband was concealing a firearm inside the residence. Officers subsequently recovered a half-cocked, Stevens Model 94C, .410 gauge sawed-off shotgun under a pillow in a couch in the living room.

According to U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, Davis has a history of committing acts of violence, and his possession of an illegal sawed-off shotgun greatly increased the potential for a fatal incident to occur in the home.

“Anyone who uses a firearm to intimidate, threaten or terrorize another person poses a significant danger to everyone in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Arthur Peralta of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF is committed to combating violent crime in all its forms. Domestic violence destroys lives, separates families and often times results in significant physical and mental injury to its victims.”

The District Attorney’s office expressed their appreciation of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative and values working with the United States Attorney and other participants to keep our communities safe from violent crime. “We sincerely believe this initiative provides our local communities a crucial layer of protection against gun violence,” said Herb Cranford, District Attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office is grateful for the hard work of their investigators and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their prosecution in this case. “Crimes of this nature are very serious and we are dedicated to working with our local, state and federal partners to bring justice,” said Troup County Sheriff James Woodruff.

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