From Doug Howard
Law Enforcement Coordinator/Public Information Officer
U.S. Attorney’s Office- Middle District of Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama – On Tuesday, February 23, 2021, Legestin Richards, a 27-year-old man from Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to 136 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing an illegally modified handgun, announced U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin, Sr. In addition to his prison sentence, Richards was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The sentence comes after a trial back in October of 2020 when a jury found Richards guilty of the two charges.
Evidence presented at Richards’ trial showed that, on March 2, 2018, the Montgomery Police Department executed a search warrant at his residence. Officers told the jury that during the search they found a variety of illegal drugs, including marijuana and oxycodone, and three handguns. Officers also testified about finding various drug paraphernalia, including digital scales used to measure drugs for sale. Among the firearms found at Richards’ residence, was an Inter Ordinance Inc., model M214 Nano, 7.62 caliber handgun. This “AK” style pistol had a vertical foregrip installed. This type of modification requires that it be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. However, Richards, who has previous felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm, had not done so. After hearing the evidence presented at trial, the jury found Richards guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a modified and unregistered handgun.
During his sentencing hearing, the Government presented evidence concerning Richards’ involvement with the Black Disciples, a street-gang based in Chicago, as well as evidence that Richards was illegally selling guns.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Davidson and Mark Andreu prosecuted the case.
