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May 20, 2023

Middle District of Georgia

MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident with multiple violent felony convictions pleaded

MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident with multiple violent felony convictions pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a wallet gun, a type of firearm that can be easily concealed and must be registered under federal law.

Johnny Carl Sandefur, Jr., 52, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on June 8. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing for is scheduled for Sept. 6. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Violent criminal felons caught in possession of any firearm—especially highly concealable weapons like a wallet gun—will be held accountable," said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. "In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are working to bring repeat violent offenders to justice."

"This case demonstrates the strong collaboration that exists between law enforcement at the local, state and federal level, as we work to hold dangerous felons accountable and make the communities we serve safer," said Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERTF) Sr. Inspector Chris Wright.

"The law-abiding citizens of this community are safer because of this guilty plea which will ensure the incarceration of a dangerous criminal and contribute to the restoration of order and peace to this area," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.

According to documents and other evidence admitted into court, the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) attempted to execute an arrest warrant for a person wanted for aggravated assault on a peace officer on Nov. 3, 2022, on Skipperton Rd. in Macon. SERFTF agents located the wanted person and Sandefur, who both fled. Sandefur was taken into custody in possession of a .22 magnum derringer wallet gun, two knives and methamphetamine. The wallet gun was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. Sandefur had active warrants in Bibb County and Houston County, Georgia, at the time of this incident. In addition, he has multiple prior felony convictions including aggravated assault, aggravated stalking, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, terroristic threats and theft by receiving. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.