Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Antonio Travis Steward, 41, of Anchorage, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, to serve 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, on numerous occasions that involved criminal activity in Anchorage.

According to court documents, on April 30, 2017, APD officers responded to a report of a male, later identified as Steward, who was passed out in the Driver’s seat of a vehicle. Steward appeared impaired and was therefore asked to participate in standardized field sobriety tests. When officers conducted a search, they recovered from Steward a stolen Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol, along with quantities of marijuana and cocaine.

On Sept. 5, 2017, APD was dispatched to a report of a stolen vehicle. Officer’s blocked in the vehicle and contacted the driver, identified as Steward. When the vehicle was searched, officers recovered a stolen Tanfoligo 9mm pistol from underneath the driver’s seat, which was loaded with an extended magazine that contained 16 rounds of ammunition. Additionally, quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were found inside the vehicle.

On Feb. 5, 2018, APD was dispatched to a residence for an assault involving a firearm, where Steward had repeatedly struck the victim and then pointed a black handgun at her, and stated he was going to shoot her. The victim ran to a neighbor and Steward left the scene.

On March 11, 2018, APD was dispatched to an Anchorage hotel regarding a suspicious person in a vehicle. Officers arrived and observed Steward slumped over in the driver’s seat. Steward was difficult to wake up and was asked to participate in standardized field sobriety tests. When Steward exited the vehicle, officers observed he had been sitting on a Colt .45 caliber pistol. During a pat search, officers discovered quantities of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.

After each of these offenses, Steward had been arrested and released on bail. Due to the serious and repetitive nature of Steward’s criminal activity, the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office referred the matter for federal prosecution. Steward has multiple prior felony convictions for crimes involving theft, robbery, and bank robbery, as well as several misdemeanor convictions. As a convicted felon, Steward was prohibited from possessing firearms.

The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of this case. The case was developed through cooperation with the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Stinson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.