A man from Calhoun County, Alabama, has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
United States District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Justus Ramone Edmonson, 25, of Anniston, to 32 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in August 2025 to possession of a machine gun.
According to the plea agreement, officers from the Anniston Police Department responded to Edmonson’s residence on April 29, 2024, following reports of shots fired and multiple victims with gunshot wounds. A group gathered on the front porch was targeted by gunfire. Among those injured were a woman and a three-year-old child who were caught in the crossfire. After executing a search warrant at the home, police recovered a Glock 9mm pistol converted into a machinegun using what is known as a “Glock switch,” which belonged to Edmonson. Doorbell camera footage showed Edmonson firing the weapon during the incident. Further searches revealed evidence that Edmonson and others used the house for selling controlled substances. At sentencing, it was also presented that Edmonson is affiliated with a local gang called “Cutthroat Mafia.”
“This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” according to information provided in connection with the sentencing. “The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad.” The task force focuses on investigating and prosecuting crimes committed by such organizations, especially those involving children or violent offenders.
The Alabama HSTF includes agents from several federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and prosecutions are led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
The investigation into this case was conducted by ATF alongside the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett prosecuted.
