Bristol Man Sentenced to 46 Months Imprisonment For Possession Of Firearms And Impersonating A Deputy U.S. Marshal

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On April 13, 2023, Bobby Rowe Maggard, Jr., 47, of Bristol, Tennessee, was sentenced to 46 months in prison by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville.  

On January 11, 2023, Maggard pled guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(3), and one count of impersonating a Deputy U.S. Marshal, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 912.  Upon his release from imprisonment, Maggard will be on supervised release for 3 years.

According to an Agreed Factual Basis filed with the Court on January 11, 2023, in August 2000, Maggard was convicted of the felony offense of Grand Larceny in Tazwell County, Virginia.  In 2021, he became employed as a registered bonding agent for a bonding company in east Tennessee.  In July 2021, law enforcement began receiving information that a person was representing himself as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, with one incident arising in Sullivan County, Tennessee.  Maggard was identified as a suspect.  When questioned by law enforcement, Maggard admitted that he was a felon and that he knew it was unlawful for him to possess a firearm.  He also admitted that he used a fake Deputy U.S. Marshal’s badge and patch, which he had purchased on the internet, to pose as a Deputy U.S. Marshal when he was securing information from people.  He stated that he impersonated a Deputy U.S. Marshal to people in order to “scare them in to telling the truth.”  He also admitted to falsely using the identity of a Deputy U.S. Marshal to obtain repair services for an Apple watch.  At the time of his questioning, Maggard was on supervised probation in Sullivan County, Tennessee, for Failure to Appear.  Law enforcement conducted a search of his residence and recovered eight (8) firearms - three (3) Glock pistols, four (4) AR-style rifles in various calibers, and a 12-gauge tactical shotgun.

This case was the result of an investigation by the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

“The impersonation of a Deputy U.S. Marshal, while armed and after having been convicted of a felony offense, placed the public in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III.  “Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute those who engage in this conduct.”

“The United States Marshals Service very much appreciates the great work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF and ATF Task Force Officer Farmer of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department for their excellent work on this investigation,” said United States Marshal David Jolley.

“We are pleased with the outcome of this case and the work of our detectives and federal partners.  Taking dangerous armed felons off our streets is imperative for the public’s safety,” said Sheriff Jeffrey Cassidy, of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney B. Todd Martin represented the United States.

This case also was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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