A 43-year-old Atlanta man with 14 prior felony convictions was sentenced Wednesday to eight years and nine months in federal prison after admitting he possessed a stolen pistol that officers found inside his vehicle. Terrance Banks pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, capping a criminal history that prosecutors say spans nearly 25 years.
U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg formally imposed the 105-month sentence on Wednesday, along with three years of supervised release once Banks is out of prison, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. The case traces back to October 11, 2024, when Atlanta police officers discovered the stolen firearm inside Banks's car during a traffic stop, a detail confirmed in a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Federal officials have not disclosed the initial reason police pulled Banks over, nor the specific location where the stop took place. The same Justice Department account identifies Marlo Graham as the FBI's Atlanta special agent in charge and says the case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.
A Record Stretching Back Nearly 25 Years
Banks's rap sheet includes three counts of robbery or armed robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, six counts of illegal firearm possession, and forcible obstruction of law enforcement, according to the Justice Department. Court records cited in the case describe Banks hitting a state prison medical officer, stabbing a victim in the head with a homemade shank, and shooting at another individual.
Hertzberg said imposing a significant federal sentence would keep Banks from terrorizing the community, characterizing Banks as a dangerous repeat offender, the release states. Marlo Graham said Banks has not learned from his previous mistakes, according to the same Justice Department account.
Why Federal Prosecutors Took Over a State Gun Case
Georgia law generally caps a standard felon-in-possession sentence at one to five years in state prison under state code, a stark contrast to the generally 10-year maximum described for federal possession by a prohibited person, per L&L Law Group. In certain cases, 15 years is described as a possible minimum.
The Northern District of Georgia's U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted Banks's case. The Justice Department account states that federal sentences do not allow parole, so Banks will serve his sentence without the possibility of early release by a parole board.
What Nearly Nine Years Actually Means Behind Bars
Banks's sentence is 105 months, followed by three years of supervised release, but authorities have not specified how much of the prison term he will serve before supervised release begins. Authorities have not specified which Bureau of Prisons facility will house him.
Stolen Guns Remain a Persistent Problem in Atlanta
Banks's case also touches on a broader public safety issue in the city: the Atlanta Police Department has reported that more than 1,000 firearms had been stolen from vehicles in Atlanta, according to WSB-TV. Banks was found with a stolen handgun in his car when officers pulled him over two years ago.
