Federal prison sentences handed down for firearms-related charges

SAVANNAH, Georgia: Five men have been sentenced to federal prison in U.S. District Court following guilty pleas for firearms-related crimes.

The sentencings before U.S. District Court were announced by Margaret E. "Meg" Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:

• Maurice Edward Jones, 38, of Rincon, Georgia, was sentenced to 130 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Jones was found with a 9 mm pistol when he was apprehended by Effingham County Sheriff's Deputies immediately after committing a smash and grab burglary at a convenience store in May 2025.
• Zyron Loadholt, 19, of Savannah, was sentenced to 58 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police responded to a report of a man with a gun near the Moses Jackson Center in July 2025. After attempting to flee, Loadholt was apprehended and found to be in possession of a Glock Model 19, 9 mm pistol.
• Deondre Jamar Williams, 30, of Riverdale, Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison and a $1,200 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Williams was found in possession of a Taurus G2C 9 mm pistol and ammunition in Augusta in July 2025. The firearm had also been reported as stolen.
• Xavier Whitfield, 41, of Savannah, was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Whitfield was found to be in possession of Hi-Point .380 caliber pistol after a search warrant was served on his residence in September 2024 by Savannah Police.
• Alvin Tyrone Sturgis Jr., 39, of Augusta, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and a $1,500 fine followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sturgis was found to be in possession of a Taurus model 85 Ultralite, .38 caliber pistol in January 2025 in Richmond County.

There is no parole in the federal system. Under federal law, it is prohibited for previously convicted felons to possess firearms or ammunition.

"Convicted felons who continue to disregard the law and threaten the safety of our communities will be held fully responsible," said U.S. Attorney Heap. "These sentences are just one step towards securing safety for our children and families."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Savannah Police Department, Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Effingham County Sheriff's Office, and Chatham County Police Department investigated the cases, which were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara M. Lyons, Kelsey L. Scanlon, Patricia G. Rhodes, Makeia R. Jonese, Bradley R. Thompson, Timothy P. Dean, and L. Alexander Hamner.