Nashville, Georgia Probationer Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm

ALBANY, Ga. – A Nashville, Georgia felon on active probation pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, said Peter D. Leary, the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia.

Randy Todd Hughes, 35, of Nashville (Berrien County), pleaded guilty to one count possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Wednesday, January 27. Hughes faces a maximum ten years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.

Berrien County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant for Hughes on October 20, 2017 at his Nashville home. A .22 caliber revolver loaded with six rounds of ammunition was found, along with an additional 34 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. At the time of his arrest, Hughes was serving a 20-year probation sentence for aggravated assault. Hughes had also previously been convicted of the sale of cocaine in 2009.  In entering his guilty plea, Hughes admitted to possessing the firearm.

“Prosecuting convicted felons with violent criminal histories who possess guns is a priority of this office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Leary. “I want to thank the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office and ATF for their efforts in this case to keep the community safe.”

The investigation was conducted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/archives/projectguardian.

The case was investigated by the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit is prosecuting the case for the Government. Questions can be directed to Pamela Lightsey, Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2603 or Melissa Hodges, Public Affairs Director (Contractor), United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 765-2362.