Department of Justice

United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Anthony Jerome Ellis, a 33 year old resident of Selma, Alabama was found guilty of possession of a firearm after conviction of a felony. The trial was held on January 22 and 23, 2019.  

 

The evidence produced at trial showed that on December 16, 2017 at about 12:30am, Selma, Alabama police officers were in an unmarked vehicle patrolling the area around the “Small Street Inn.”   The “Small Street Inn” is a nightclub known to have crimes of violence committed in and around it while in operation over the nighttime hours.  Once officers arrived on the scene, Ellis and his nephew were walking briskly toward the officers as the officers drove up to the club.  As the officers stopped their vehicle to go and talk to them, Ellis and his nephew pivoted left and walked between two vehicles. Almost immediately after they got between the vehicles, Ellis and his nephew squatted down for a second or two.  The officers then drew their service weapons and yelled, “Selma Police Officers put your hands up.”   Ellis and his nephew then stood up.  Officers immediately detained them and went the the areas where Ellis and his nephew squatted down.  Found in the exact area for each was a firearm.  In the area where Ellis squatted was a loaded .38 caliber RG revolver and in the area where his nephew squatted was a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol.  Ellis’ nephew told officers that the .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm was his.   Ellis was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.  During the time between Ellis’ arraignment for the felon in possession of a firearm charge and his trial on January 22, 2019, he sought out an inmate who had been convicted of the same charge he was facing.  Ellis told that inmate that he and his nephew were at a nightclub one night in Selma, Alabama and the cops pulled up so he and his nephew ducked between two cars and tossed their guns.   Ellis told the inmate that the cops would not be able to prove he had the gun because they could not see him toss it and they did not find the gun on him.  He also told the inmate that the cops could not get any fingerprints off of the gun.  When the inmate asked Ellis how he was going to explain why he squatted out of sight, Ellis told him that he would say he was tying his shoe or had dropped his cigarette lighter.  Ellis also told the inmate that he was going to have his trial in Selma and not Mobile because everybody in Selma knows him and he won’t be convicted there. 

    

Officers of the Selma, AL Police Department along with special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney's Office for prosecution.  The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.