Jury Finds Little Rock Felon Guilty of Possessing Ammunition

 Defendant Shot At Moving Vehicle With Four Occupants Inside

LITTLE ROCK—After a two-day trial, a federal jury has found Anthony Obi, Jr., 29, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury returned their verdict Tuesday evening after trial began on Monday and continued with testimony on Tuesday. United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., presided over the trial, and Judge Moody will sentence Obi, of Little Rock, at a later date. 

“Felons with guns are a threat to the safety of our communities,” said Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This defendant fired a gun into a car full of people. We will not tolerate this reckless, dangerous behavior. This guilty verdict should signify to felons with firearms that we will investigate and prosecute them for the havoc they attempt to wreak in our society.”

Testimony during the trial established that in June 2019, police responded to a call in Southwest Little Rock. Officers made contact with four victims who stated that Anthony Obi had shot at their vehicle four or five times, striking the vehicle at least once and causing slight injuries when the glass from the driver’s side window broke. Obi was arrested shortly thereafter, wearing clothing that matched the description from the victims. He did not have a gun at the time of arrest, so he was charged with possessing the spent .45 caliber ammunition casings that were found at the scene.

Because Obi is a felon, having been convicted of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in 2008, it is illegal for him to possess ammunition. A grand jury indicted Obi on one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition in November 2019.

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, in this joint effort, will continue to focus on repeat offenders like Anthony Obi, Jr., who is prohibited from possessing firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “Reducing firearm related crimes and keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe is the top priority for ATF.”

The statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of ammunition is not more than 10 years imprisonment, not more than three years of supervised release, and not more than a $250,000 fine. The investigation was conducted by the Little Rock Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bart Dickinson and Amanda Fields.