Federal Violent offender sentenced to Felon in Possession of a Firearm

MOBILE, AL - A Mobile man was sentenced on April 9, 2026 to 105 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Willie Hosea, 44, plead guilty to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Hosea has a prior conviction for Use of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence out of the United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama from May 10, 2005. On August 25, 2024, Mobile Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for failure to signal. He was in possession of a firearm and illegal pills. On June 27, 2025, MPD conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for switched tag, again Hosea was in possession of a pistol and marijuana. On July 9, 2025, a search warrant was issued for his home, and inside officers located four firearms with ammunition.

A term of three years on supervised release will follow Hosea's incarceration.

U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

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.