Cordele man sentenced to nine years in prison for Macon pawn shop gun theft
A Cordele man who broke into a Macon pawn shop and stole 62 firearms has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
UPDATE (3/3/25): A Cordele man who broke into a Macon pawn shop and stole 62 firearms has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal sentenced 34-year-old Rontavious Jamal Jackson to 108 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on February 27. Jackson pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024, to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This case demonstrates the collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring criminal gun traffickers to justice,” Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker said. “Law enforcement at every level is committed to preventing illegal firearms from getting into the hands of criminals.”
Surveillance footage from April 5, 2023, showed Jackson and another person breaking into Howard’s Pawn & Jewelry at 3 a.m. The two filled garbage bags with 62 firearms after smashing a large hole in the store’s exterior wall. Investigators with the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office received tips on April 12 that Jackson had stolen weapons at his Cordele home. A search warrant executed that day led to the recovery of 32 firearms with serial numbers matching those stolen from the pawn shop. Officers also found nine gun price tags, assorted ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, including ten magazines.
“We take this crime very seriously,” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka said. “There were 62 firearms on the street, with the strong potential of being sold to or used by other criminals. Stealing firearms is a serious offense which results in significant federal prison time for all those responsible.”
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said he hoes this case sends a “clear message to convicted felons of the serious consequences of possession of firearms.”
“I am grateful for the relationship between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and our federal partners to continue to remove these potentially dangerous individuals from our streets,” he said.
ORIGINAL STORY (8/14/24):
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Cordele man has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm after breaking into a Macon pawn shop and stealing 62 firearms in 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
33-year-old Rontavious Jamal Jackson entered the guilty plea before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on August 13. Jackson, a convicted felon, admitted to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“Stolen firearms fuel crime and violence,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committed to doing everything we can to both prevent illegal firearms from getting into the hands of criminals and hold those responsible for gun trafficking accountable.”
According to court documents, Jackson and another person were caught on surveillance footage breaking into Howard’s Pawn & Jewelry in Macon at 3 a.m. on April 5, 2023. The two stole 62 firearms by placing them into garbage bags after smashing a large hole in the store. Days later, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office investigators, after receiving tips, executed a search warrant at Jackson’s home and recovered 32 firearms matching the stolen guns’ serial numbers. The remaining 30 firearms have not been recovered.
“There were 62 firearms on the street, with the strong potential of being sold to or used by other criminals,” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka said.
Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says he hopes the case sends a clear message to convicted felons of the serious consequences of the possession of firearms.
“I am grateful for the relationship between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and our Federal partners to continue to remove these potentially dangerous individuals from our streets,” he said.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that unites law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the government.