An Evergreen man has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Court records show that Cornelius Antoine Dean, 34, was arrested by Alabama State Troopers during a traffic stop in Evergreen on July 11, 2023. Troopers detected the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle where Dean was a passenger. During a pat-down search, officers found and seized a .45 caliber pistol from Dean’s waistband. Authorities also discovered a bag containing multiple individually packaged baggies of marijuana and a digital scale near Dean’s Alabama identification card in the backseat within his reach.
After his arrest, Dean admitted to possessing the pistol and acknowledged he had previously been convicted of a felony drug-distribution offense. As a result of this prior conviction, it is illegal under federal law for him to possess firearms. Dean stated that he knew he was not allowed to have a gun.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed the 46-month sentence and ordered Dean to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison term. The court did not issue a fine but required Dean to pay $100 in special assessments and forfeited his pistol to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama announced the sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the matter for the government.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and reducing violent crime through coordinated efforts such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
