Cordele man pleads guilty after stealing 62 guns from Howard’s Gun and Pawn in Macon

A Cordele man pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm after breaking into a Macon pawn shop and stealing 62 firearms in 2023, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia .

MACON, Ga. (41NBC/WMGT) – A Cordele man pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm after breaking into a Macon pawn shop and stole 62 firearms in 2023according to a news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Rontavious Jamal Jackson, 33, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Aug. 13. Jackson, a convicted felon, admitted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

“Stolen firearms fuel crime and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committed to doing everything in our power to both prevent illegal firearms from falling into the hands of criminals and hold those responsible for gun trafficking accountable “.

According to court documents, Jackson and another person were captured on surveillance footage breaking into Howard’s Pawn & Jewelry in Macon at 3 a.m. on April 5, 2023. The two stole 62 firearms by placing them in garbage bags after they broke a big hole in the store. . Days later, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office investigators, after receiving tips, executed a search warrant at Jackson’s home and recovered 32 firearms matching the serial numbers of the stolen guns. The remaining 30 firearms were not recovered.

“There were 62 firearms on the street with strong potential to be sold or used by other criminals,” said ATF Deputy Special Agent Beau Kolodka.

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis says he hopes the case sends a clear message to convicted felons about the serious consequences of owning firearms.

“I am grateful for the relationship between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and our federal partners to continue to get these potentially dangerous individuals off our streets,” he said.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that unites law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the government.