
A Central Georgia man, Christopher Thomas Ford, aged 57, has entered a guilty plea for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a tense stand-off with police in December of last year. The altercation occurred in Toomsboro, Georgia, where Ford was confronted by deputies intending to serve an arrest warrant. According to a press release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Ford now faces up to 15 years in federal prison, along with supervisory release and a substantial fine. His sentencing is set for October 9, 2024.
During the incident reported in December 2022, deputies found Ford armed with a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, threatening to either kill the officers or be killed by them. "I ain’t playing with y’all, I ain’t going back to prison, you can kill me or I’m going to kill y’all," Ford declared, as highlighted in court statements. In a desperate turn of events, Ford eluded the deputies, escaping temporarily into surrounding woods, only to rather quickly get arrested the following day upon his return. It was revealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that Ford had a past criminal record that included possession of cocaine and aggravated assault among other charges.
The efforts of law enforcement were collectively praised by several offices. “Wilkinson County is safer now that guns are out of the hands of this person," stated FBI Atlanta's Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the Macon Office Robert Gibbs, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The coordinated actions by local and state police alongside the FBI were instrumental in Ford's apprehension and the subsequent charge. The case underscores the ongoing efforts of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods program which strives to tackle violent crime and promote safer communities.
The GBI Director Chris Hosey emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation, vowing to continue to jointly address violent crime. "We will not tolerate acts that put our communities and law enforcement in danger, and we will work to make sure that dangerous criminals like Ford are off the streets," Hosey conveyed in comments noting the broader initiative to counteract violence, as mentioned in the same press release. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is handling the prosecution on behalf of the government, reinforcing the position that felons with violent histories who choose to illegally carry firearms will be subject to federal prosecution.