Mobile Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of Firearm

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jamar Kaleel Pettway, 23, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.  Pettway pleaded guilty to the charge in November of 2019.

In connection with his guilty plea, Pettway admitted that on April 12, 2019, he was stopped by an officer of the Mobile Police Department for driving a vehicle with a switched tag.  Pettway did not have a driver’s license and evaded questions from the officer regarding his identity.  When the officer asked Pettway if he was in possession of any weapons, Pettway began to flee on foot.  The officer gave chase and ordered Pettway to stop, warning him that if he did not stop, he would be tased.  Pettway continued running and the officer deployed his taser.  After a brief struggle, officers forcibly walked Pettway back to his vehicle.  Officers searched Pettway’s person and found a loaded .38-caliber revolver in the front left pocket of his shorts.  At the time Pettway possessed the revolver, he knew he had two prior felony convictions for Breaking into a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance in July 2015, both in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama.  Because of his prior felony convictions, Pettway was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.

United States District Court Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 30 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.  During that time, Pettway will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment.  The judge also ordered Pettway to pay $100 in special assessments.

This case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorneys Gina S. Vann and Justin Roller.