BIRMINGHAM, ALA. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a convicted felon this week for illegally possessing firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Acting Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.
United States District Judge Abdul K. Kallon sentenced Ervin Deangelo Fields, 31, of Birmingham, to 46 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. Fields pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in June 2022.
“Felons who possess illegal firearms have a negative effect on the work we are doing to drive down violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to do all that we can to protect our communities and to prevent firearms from coming into the possession of prohibited people.”
“This individual knowingly and willingly continues to illegally possess firearms,” SAC French said. “The ATF along with our local, state and federal partners will continue to remove these individuals from the communities that we serve.”
According to court documents, on two separate occasions Fields illegally possessed firearms. On January 8, 2021, Fields possessed a Canik 9mm pistol and on June 11, 2020, Fields possessed a Smith and Wesson 9 mm pistol. Fields is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions, including theft and possession of a controlled substance.
This case is 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 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 ATF investigated the case, along with Birmingham Police Department and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
