William Earl Alley, Unlawful Gun Possession, Georgia 2024

Cook County Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Guns

In a move to crack down on violent crime in the region, a Cook County, Georgia, resident has been sentenced to prison for unlawfully possessing firearms.

William Earl Alley, 55, of Adel, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on March 2, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case began when a local gun shop employee turned over three firearms to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office on June 21, 2019. The firearms included a revolver, a semi-automatic rifle, and a bolt action rifle. Cook County deputies confirmed that Alley was a convicted felon, with multiple prior state felonies, including habitual violator, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, theft by deception, terroristic threats, and possession of controlled substances. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess firearms.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is working with law enforcement and community partners to decrease violent crime in the region through the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program. Removing guns from the hands of repeat felons and holding them accountable for their crimes is a key part of this strategy.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Criminal Chief Michael Solis prosecuted the case.

As part of the strategy to reduce crime, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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