MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia resident with a prior felony found in illegal possession of multiple weapons on two separate occasions—at one time while wanted for aggravated assault in Monroe County, Georgia—pleaded guilty to a firearms charge.
Scott Rusmisel, 28, of Juliette, Georgia, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell today. Rusmisel is facing a maximum ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 6. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat felons with violent criminal histories have no business carrying weapons—it is a federal offense for convicted felons to possess firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute repeat offenders who violate this federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I commend the law enforcement teams across the Middle District of Georgia for their daily persistence in helping us hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes and working to make our region a safer place.”
“ATF is always there to assist our local partners by providing federal resources when needed,” said ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stricklin. “We are pleased that ATF was able to assist the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office in removing a repeat armed offender from the streets of our community.”
According to court documents, Rusmisel’s vehicle was stopped for a tag violation by a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Aug. 14, 2019. Rusmisel, the driver, was wearing a large knife and there was a black handgun in plain view. Rusmisel was later found to be carrying a second knife in his pocket. A search of the vehicle discovered a total of four firearms: a .357 magnum caliber revolver, two 12-gauge shotguns and a 7.62 mm rifle. Rusmisel admitted that all of the firearms belonged to him.
On Nov. 20, 2020, Rusmisel was detained on a warrant for aggravated assault by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Rusmisel was carrying a .380 caliber pistol in his back pocket at the time of arrest. ATF examined each of the five weapons seized from Rusmisel and determined that two of his weapons were required to be registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). One 12-gauge shotgun had a shortened barrel measuring just 11 1/8 inches and the second 12-gauge shotgun had a shortened barrel measuring just 12 inches. Neither gun was registered in the NFRTR to Rusmisel. Rusmisel was previously convicted in Circuit Court of Bay County, Michigan, for second degree home invasion. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess firearms.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.
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