Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Gun and Drug Charges

 BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a convicted felon on gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Mickey French.

U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Brenton Damond Sims, 41, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison on one count of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Sims pleaded guilty to the charges in April.

According to the plea agreement, on July 3, 2019, the Birmingham Police Department conducted a traffic safety checkpoint at the intersection of South Park Road and Fulton Avenue in the western part of Birmingham.  Sims, driving a 2004 BMW, refused to stop and proceeded through the checkpoint, nearly hitting an officer.  Officers pursued Sims to the 500 block of 23^rd Place, SW, where he turned down an alley, abandoned his car, and fled on foot.  Officers chased Sims down the alley, and a detective observed a handgun in Sim’s right hand.  Sims was found hiding under the back deck of a residence on 23^rd Place, SW.   A pistol was found lying in the grass just to the right of where Sims was  hiding under the deck.  The pistol was a Glock 23 .40 caliber semiautomatic with an extended magazine.  There were 20 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber.  Sims was also searched, and officers found three bags of marijuana, four bags of crack cocaine, and $2,045 cash on his person.

“It is a priority of my office to prosecute  felons who carry firearms while possessing and dealing  illegal drugs,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said.  “We value the work of our Birmingham law enforcement partners to keep this community safe.”

“ATF’s partnerships with the Birmingham PD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office focuses on the devastating impact of firearms and narcotics, and works with the entire community to deter poor choices and provide alternatives,” ATF Special Agent in Charge, Mickey French said.

The ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.