Three Armed Felons Sentenced to Federal Prison
Jacksonville, FL — United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton sentenced Deandre Perkins (27, Live Oak) yesterday to ten years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Perkins pled guilty on December 15, 2011.
According to court records, Perkins and Stevelein Stephon Bivins (24, Live Oak) broke into a home in Suwannee County and stole 17 firearms from the residence. Perkins was caught a few hours later when neighbors called police after observing him unloading the firearms. Perkins had two prior felony convictions and was on probation for selling drugs at the time he committed this offense. Bivins also pled guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2012.
Judge Dalton also sentenced two men yesterday involved in an unrelated case. Thomas Pratt (41, Jacksonville) was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison. Greg Manning (47, Jacksonville) was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison. Pratt and Manning were convicted of selling a fully automatic machine gun to an undercover ATF agent.
According to court records, Pratt and Manning met with an undercover ATF Special Agent and agreed to sell a Sten machine gun. Pratt and Manning were arrested when they showed up to complete the transaction. At the time of his arrest, Pratt was found to be in possession of three loaded firearms. He had prior convictions for sale of cocaine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Manning had prior convictions for armed robbery, burglary, escape and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Pratt pled guilty on October 18, 2011 and Manning pled guilty on November 30, 2011.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods
program – a nationwide, gun–violence reduction strategy led by ATF. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Virginia O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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