Montgomery Man Convicted For Being A Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

            Montgomery, Ala. –    On Tuesday, July 27, 2021, Lonnie Dontae Mitchell, 36, from Montgomery, Alabama, was convicted by a federal jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart.  

            According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on September 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on a Montgomery residence to search for evidence of suspected drug and human trafficking activity. While clearing the house, law enforcement made contact with Mitchell in the kitchen and ordered that he get on the floor. Mitchell complied and when agents approached him, they discovered a Glock .9mm handgun on the floor where he had previously been standing. While searching the residence, law enforcement seized a number of items related to the sale of illegal drugs, including a batch of small plastic bags and three scales located on the kitchen table, and an additional scale in one of the back bedrooms. In the bedroom next to the kitchen, officers found a black glove next to a wallet containing Mitchell’s driver's license. When agents looked inside the glove, they found multiple bags containing suspected narcotics. Mitchell has multiple felony convictions on his record, including two for first degree robbery and one for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing firearms.

            Following this conviction, Mitchell is facing a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. In addition, court documents also show that on July 14, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Mitchell on multiple sex trafficking charges. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Mitchell is scheduled to be arraigned on the sex trafficking charges on August 2, 2021. 

This case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Montgomery Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys James P. Lamb and Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.