Repeat Offender Sentenced for Illegal Gun Possession in Southwest Georgia

An Albany resident with a lengthy criminal history in the community was sentenced to prison today for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from separate a Project Safe Neighborhoods investigation.

Marcus Ryan Telfair, 30, of Baconton, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 130 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on June 26. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Repeat convicted felons caught with firearms during the commission of other crimes will see their cases in federal court," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "Our office supports the work of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to make our communities safer and hold serial offenders accountable."

"Today's sentence reflects our commitment to ensuring that those with a history of violent crime are held accountable for their actions. The illegal possession of firearms by convicted felons poses a significant threat to our communities, and we will continue to work tirelessly to remove these dangerous individuals from our streets," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.

"This conviction showcases the efforts that we are conducting with our state and federal partners in addressing career criminals," said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. "It is my desire that the message is loud and clear that if a person commits a crime and possesses a firearm, there are no limits to the full prosecution of those actions. We are focused on finding those who insist on creating an unsafe community in order for others to feel safe wherever they go."

According to court documents and statements made in court in the Telfair case, Albany Police Department (APD) officers responded to a disorderly conduct call on Oct. 23, 2023, on West Society Avenue. A landscaper working nearby called 911 after he observed Telfair dragging a woman by her hair in the street, who was screaming for help. The landscaper attempted to intervene, but Telfair drew a gun, pointed it at the man and threatened to shoot him if he did not step away. When the police arrived, Telfair ran off and was found hiding underneath a porch. A 9mm semiautomatic pistol and a knife were located in Telfair's backpack; the gun was stolen out of a truck earlier in the year. The female victim advised Telfair had robbed her of her belongings. In addition, another citizen contacted police on Oct. 14, 2023, after a man matching Telfair's description flashed a gun at him while stealing items from his truck. APD recovered some of the stolen items from inside the backpack Telfair had in his possession during his arrest. Telfair has several prior criminal convictions in the Superior Court of Dougherty County, Georgia, including robbery, entering auto and interfering with government property.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.

The Telfair case was investigated by the Albany Police Department (APD) with assistance from ATF.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the cases for the Government.