Federal authorities in the Southern District of Georgia have dropped the hammer on several individuals involved in illegal firearms possession and drug distribution. U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg said, "Illegally possessed firearms continue to present a challenge for law enforcement agencies, including the increasing threat from guns illegally modified for fully automatic fire." Steinberg's office is going after these weapons and the people holding them to "make our streets safer," as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Among those swept up in this newest round of indictments, we've got Jacorey Rivers, nailed for possession of enough fentanyl to knock out a small army and a machinegun to defend it. The full list includes hustlers and gun aficionados alike, like Christopher Michael Owens, dubbed "Lambo," and Robert Michael Waltz, who apparently enjoys the nickname "Hurricane." They, along with Juan Carlos Rosado Morla, are staring down a litany of drug charges, tossing in a dash of machine guns and pistols for extra flavor — courtesy of Uncle Sam's gavel.
On the "just got their hands slapped" side of things, Chester Morgan of Savannah earned himself a cozy 46-month stay in the federal pen for having another person's pistol in his car, as the U.S. Attorney's Office details. Wesley Rosenberg found out the hard way that importing and pushing silencers without a license is a no-go in Uncle Sam's eyes, bagging a 20-month vacation and a $1,000 souvenir fine.
Let's not forget the family act; Jose Miguel Marrero and Jacqueline Christmas, a mother-and-son duo from Statesboro, conned their way into a few extra handguns by playing fast and loose with the truth on federal paperwork. The ATF didn't take kindly to their shopping spree, deciding that "false statement during the purchase of a firearm" would be a fitting charge for their scrapbook.
Federal law is crystal clear: being a felon, an illegal alien, or getting too cozy with controlled substances means no firearms for you. And if you're thinking about aiding and abetting a friend's drug-related escapades, you may want to rethink that strategy. As these defendants have learned, sometimes the hard way, playing with guns and drugs under the watchful eye of the feds makes for a quick ticket to a whole lot of legal headaches. Stay safe, stay legal, or stay aware that the feds will be staying right on your tail.
