A Savannah man, Duane B. Smith, also known as “Flex,” has been convicted on charges of firearm possession despite being prohibited due to prior felony convictions. After a two-day jury trial, the evidence deemed Smith guilty of not only illegal possession of a firearm but also classified him under the Armed Career Criminal Act, according to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
Reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the incident that led to his arrest unfolded on June 13, 2023, when Savannah police responded to a missing person report at a local Goodwill. The acquaintance of Smith's was found at the site, and subsequent investigations, and witness interviews resulted in the discovery of a .380 caliber Cobra firearm hidden in Smith's vehicle. Smith's prior felony convictions, including three from the Superior Court of Chatham County and one federal conviction, prohibited him from any firearm possession.
Smith now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years as a result of the Armed Career Criminal Act, which targets repeat offenders with a history of serious drug offenses or violent felonies. "With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies," said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, as stated in the official press release.
The conviction is part of a concerted effort to decrease gun violence within communities. "Duane Smith posed a serious threat to the public," FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis said. The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice initiative that brings together authorities at multiple levels to combat violent crime. The collaborative effort includes the Savannah Police Department alongside the FBI, with prosecution by the Southern District of Georgia's Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Criminal Chief Patricia G. Rhodes, as noted by the same press release.
Local Police Chief Lenny B. Gunther expressed gratitude towards the U.S. Attorney's Office for their commitment to the case, highlighting the partnership's success in removing a "dangerous individual" from the Savannah streets.
