Man sentenced in Albany federal court on gun charge

ALBANY — A man with a criminal history was sentenced in federal court in Albany on Thursday to 100 months in prison for possession of a firearm, officials from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia said.

James T. Parker, 36, of Leary, was sentenced to 100 months plus three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner. Parker pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in September.

Federal court officials said the Albany Police Department responded to a report of a robbery by snatching, and witnesses directed the police officer to Parker. During a search of the defendant, the officer felt a weapon — a Jennings .22 caliber pistol with six rounds of ammunition in the gun.

Parker had been previously convicted on possession of cocaine and escape charges in Dougherty County Superior Court in January 2017. He was on probation at the time of his most recent arrest.

“Today’s strong sentence shows that our justice system has zero tolerance for convicted felons to pick up guns and create havoc in our communities,” Middle District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Charles Peeler said. “I want to applaud the good work of the Albany Police Department, for quickly apprehending a dangerous person, and for their partnership in making our region safer.”

Court officials said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Crane prosecuted the case for the federal government.