A Calhoun County man will spend more than four years in federal prison after being convicted of his part in the burglary of a firearms store in August of 2024.
22-year-old Bryson Latavion Walker was officially sentenced to 52 months – or four years and four months – after he and three others were charged with the robbery of a federally licensed firearms store in Calhoun City. The criminal quartet stole more than a dozen firearms from the store along with ammunition, court records show.
“Every stolen firearm has the potential to wind up in the hands of a criminal, threatening the safety of our citizens and communities,” U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner said. “We are proud to stand with our state and federal partners to demonstrate unequivocally that thieves who burglarize federal firearms licensees will face prosecution.”
Data from Everytown Research and The Trace suggests that more than 100,000 guns are stolen in the U.S. every year. The chances of a gun being used in a violent crime increase nearly 900% after it has been stolen.
“Getting guns out of the hands of criminals before it is used in a violent crime is an essential part of our efforts to prevent, reduce, and solve violent crime,” ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “We continue to identify and hold accountable those who want to illegally obtain firearms. The sentence imposed today sends a message that we will continue to focus our efforts to remove another violent criminal from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
Walker will not be eligible for parole in the federal conviction and was also ordered to pay financial restitution to the store.
The case was investigated by the Oxford Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), along with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Howell Addison and was a part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
