Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On May 3, 2017, Angelo Goldston, 37, of Cleveland, Tennessee, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison by the Honorable Harry S. Mattice, Jr., U.S. District Judge.  Upon his release from prison, Goldston will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.

After a January 2017 jury trial, Goldston was convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm.  His sentence was enhanced based on his seven prior convictions for serious drug offenses and because the firearm he possessed was a sawed-off shotgun.  He was sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA).

According to eyewitnesses who testified at his trial, Goldston displayed the sawed-off shotgun during a heated exchange with an unarmed man as children stood by and watched.  The altercation took place in the middle of the day in a residential neighborhood in Cleveland. 

U.S. Attorney Nancy Stallard Harr said, “Goldston’s sentence reflects the danger and risk of harm his conduct posed to society.  The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals previously recognized that sawed-off shotguns, by their very nature, are extremely dangerous and serve virtually no purpose other than furtherance of illegal activity.  That danger is heightened when career criminals, such as Goldston, possess these types of weapons.”

“The sentencing illustrates the positive effect of the resources provided by ATF and our law enforcement partners to combat the violent crime.   ATF’s priority is to provide the safe environment for the public," stated Steven Gerido, Special Agent in Charge, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The indictment and subsequent conviction of Goldston was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 10th Judicial District Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, and Cleveland Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Porter and Kyle J. Wilson represented the United States at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws.  It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences.  PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.