Cocke County Felon Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Possessing a Sawed Off Shotgun
GREENEVILLE, T.N. — Roy Santana Jr., 33, of Cosby, Tenn., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court, Greeneville, to serve 110 months in federal prison, by the Honorable Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge.
Santana pleaded guilty in February 2012, to charges in a June 2012 indictment, of being in possession of an unregistered short barrel shotgun.
It was noted at the sentencing hearing that Santana had been convicted of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor in Florida before moving to Tennessee. In Tennessee, Santana had been convicted of violation of the sex offender registration act twice in Cocke County. Santana was arrested in March 2011 when the Cocke County Sheriff's Department responded to a trespassing call and found him in possession of the 12-gauge sawed off shotgun and ammunition.
In imposing sentence, Judge Jordan noted that he wanted to send a message to other convicted felons that possession of a firearm is a serious offense.
The indictment and subsequent guilty plea by Santana was the result of an investigation conducted by the Cocke County Sheriff's Department and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert M. Reeves represented the United States.
U.S. Attorney William C. Killian praised the efforts of the investigating agencies for eliminating another dangerous repeat offender from the community.
This case was brought as part of PSN, a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces.
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