Louisville, KY – A federal jury convicted a Louisville man yesterday of possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on December 3, 2020, Nathaniel Durham, 31, was armed with a firearm as he approached a stolen vehicle. As Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers attempted to arrest the individuals in possession of the stolen vehicle, Durham fled and threw the firearm to the ground. After a short foot pursuit, Durham was apprehended. The jury found Durham guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Durham’s prior felony convictions included more than ten (10) burglaries in Jefferson County.
Durham was charged in an indictment that also charged Marquise Reyes, Jeremy Cosby, and Phillips Barnes with other offenses. Each of these defendants pled guilty prior to trial.
Marquise Reyes, 24, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On July 29, 2022, Reyes was sentenced by a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky to 43 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
On August 25, 2022, Jeremy Cosby, 28, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2022.
On August 30, 2022, Phillip Barnes, 33, pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His sentencing is scheduled for November 18, 2022.
Durham’s sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2022. Durham faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Durham remains in federal custody.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and LMPD Chief Erika Shields made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia P. Gomez and Mac Shannon are prosecuting the case with the assistance of paralegal Adela Alic.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
###