ATLANTA — A 28-year-old Atlanta man was sentenced last month to years in federal prison on drug trafficking and weapons charges after law enforcement found him with an illegally converted machine gun and fentanyl.
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A judge imposed the 15-year prison sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release.
Reginald Pierce, 28, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty March 17 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The sentence follows a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
The case began on May 30, 2023, when a Fulton County Sheriff’s Office investigator stopped a vehicle in which Pierce was a passenger. Pierce attempted to run from the vehicle and tackled the investigator before being taken into custody. Investigators searched Pierce and found an illegally converted, fully automatic pistol in his pants pocket.
In and near the vehicle, law enforcement officers recovered 469 fentanyl pills, $10,020 in cash, along with oxycodone and methamphetamine pills. Using NIBIN intelligence, investigators linked the converted fully automatic handgun to a drive-by shooting that occurred a week earlier in East Point, Georgia.
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Benjamin Gibbons, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Atlanta Field Division, highlighted the technology used to trace the firearm.
“Machine gun conversion devices transform firearms into exceptionally dangerous weapons that have no place in our communities,” Gibbons said. “Through NIBIN intelligence and strong investigative partnerships, we connected this firearm to a prior shooting and helped bring this repeat offender to justice.”
Pierce was legally prohibited from owning any gun due to prior felony convictions. His criminal record includes convictions for armed robbery and a gang-related aggravated assault that involved the stabbing of five victims.
Theodore S. Hertzberg, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, commented on the sentence length.
“Pierce is a violent repeat offender who trafficked lethal fentanyl while armed with a machine gun,” Hertzberg said. “Thanks to the efforts of federal and local law enforcement, he will serve a significant sentence equal to more than half his lifetime thus far, and our community is safer for it.”
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat emphasized the collaborative law enforcement effort. “This outcome demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships and collaborations between local and federal agencies,” Labat said. “Apprehending dangerous criminals is a vital part of our mission at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office to keep the members of our community safe.”
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