A Mobile County woman has been sentenced to 77 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock issued the sentence to Heather Ashley Stringfellow on February 23, 2026.
According to court documents, deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Stringfellow’s residence in Grand Bay, Alabama, on August 2, 2024. During the search, Stringfellow was found in the master bedroom where deputies discovered a Taurus GX4 semi-automatic pistol under the bed. A purse belonging to Stringfellow contained marijuana, Xanax bars, and a small amount of methamphetamine. She admitted that several people sold drugs from her home.
Investigators obtained text messages between Stringfellow and another individual in which she sent a photo of the Taurus firearm and wrote: “I bought a pistol.” The image matched the gun seized during the search.
Stringfellow also made a recorded phone call from jail asking someone to sign an affidavit falsely claiming that the weapon belonged to their deceased father. The deceased man had previously lived in the trailer where Stringfellow was staying at the time of the search.
Records show that Stringfellow had eight prior felony convictions including money laundering, possession of controlled substances, identity theft, obstructing justice by false identification, possession of forged instruments (second degree), robbery (second degree), and theft of property (first degree). These convictions occurred between October 2006 and October 2017 in both federal and state courts.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello announced the sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case for the government.
The prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national Department of Justice initiative focused on addressing illegal immigration issues and combating violent crime through coordinated efforts among Homeland Security Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
