Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

ALBANY, Ga. - A repeat felon with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm resulting from an Operation Take Back America investigation.

Brandon Michael Slachta, 36, of Albany, was sentenced as an armed career criminal to serve 180 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Sept. 23. Slachta previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on March 27. There is no parole in the federal system.

"Armed career felons with violent pasts who persist with criminal activity will face federal prosecution in the Middle District of Georgia," said U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes. "I commend our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their collaboration with helping us uphold the law."

"Today's sentencing is a testament to our relentless pursuit of justice. Armed career criminals like Slachta pose a significant threat to our communities, and we will not hesitate to utilize all available resources to ensure they face the full weight of the law," said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.

"I am thankful that we have taken another weapon off the streets of Albany, Georgia. Though we don't know the intentions of Slachta, we do know that convicted felons in possession of a firearm can lead to dangerous consequences," said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley. "The men and women of the Albany Police Department will continue to seek those who commit crime in our community."

According to court documents in the Slachta case, an Albany Police Department (APD) officer conducting a routine uniformed patrol along Dawson Road around 4:30 a.m. on July 17, 2024, noticed one male and two women gathered in a local restaurant's parking lot. Given the early time of the morning and the business still being closed, the officer drove into the parking lot to contact the three people. As the officer pulled into the parking lot, he saw the male, later identified as Slachta, take a black object and toss it inside a silver Honda vehicle. One of the women, who was the owner of the vehicle, told the officer that Slachta tossed a firearm inside her car. The woman consented to the search of her vehicle, and the officer found a black rifle on the center console, along with boxes of ammunition. Slachta admitted that he was a felon; he stated that he put the gun inside the woman's car because he did not want to get criminally charged with illegally possessing the firearm, and he does not want to do more jail time. Slachta is an armed career criminal, and he knew that he had multiple prior convictions for violent felonies in various states, including Texas, Florida and Arizona.

The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

The Slachta case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Albany Police Department (APD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Lim prosecuted the case for the Government.