Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Daniel Cole Ahearn, 28, from Prattville, Alabama, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. Ahearn’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to Ahearn’s plea agreement and other court documents, on January 13, 2021, deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office received a call reporting that a truck had struck another vehicle and then fled the scene. Thereafter, a deputy spotted a truck matching the description of the suspected hit-and-run vehicle speeding down a highway nearby and attempted to make a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Ahearn, refused to stop and instead led law enforcement on a short chase that ended abruptly when Ahearn lost control of the vehicle and crashed. Two stolen handguns were found inside the truck. Ahearn is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms. Ahearn pleaded guilty to the firearms-possession charge on August 22, 2022.
The case was investigated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.