Union Springs Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

           Montgomery, Alabama – On February 23, 2022, Christopher Lee Smith, a 24-year-old man from Union Springs, Alabama, was sentenced to 21 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. In addition to his prison sentence, Smith was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

            According to court records, on February 3, 2020, a Union Springs Police Officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Smith. During the stop, the officer discovered that Smith had two loaded handguns in a bag belonging to him despite being prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2018 state felony conviction for shooting into a vehicle. During the hearing, the court learned that it had been a mere four months after Smith’s state probation period was complete that he was found with the two guns in this case.  

            Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm on April 7, 2021. He pleaded guilty to that charge on October 8, 2021.  

           This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.

            The Union Springs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated this case, with assistance from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Russell Duraski prosecuted the case.