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Date: 06-17-2021
Case Style:
Case Number: 5:20-cr-00060-F
Judge: Stephen P. Friot
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma (Oklahoma County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States District Attorney’s Office
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with being a felony firearm possession and drug possession.
James McWillie Ambrose, 39, of Oklahoma City, was charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute.
On July 8, 2020, a six-count Superseding Indictment was filed charging Ambrose with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On November 3, 2020, pursuant to a plea agreement, Ambrose pled guilty to two counts of possessing controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Public records reflect that Ambrose was stopped for a traffic offense on December 1, 2019. Officers performed a search of the car after observing a mason jar filled with a green substance consistent with marijuana on the passenger-side floorboard. Officers found quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, multiple pills of methamphetamine, and a loaded .38 caliber firearm concealed behind door panels of the car. On May 20, 2020, officers arrested Ambrose on a federal warrant as he was leaving his home, and found 13.6 grams of crack cocaine and $370 in the pockets of his shorts. Law enforcement searched Ambrose’s home and seized crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, a .380 caliber pistol, and .380 caliber ammunition. Before the search, Ambrose had felony crimes for trafficking in a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute, possession of drug proceeds, and felon in possession of firearm. Federal law prohibits prior convicted felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot sentenced Ambrose to serve 144 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Friot noted the nature and circumstances of the offense and Ambrose’s criminal history.
This case is the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley L. Altshuler prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiatives to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. The local implementation of these initiatives in the Western District of Oklahoma is through "Operation 922" which prioritizes prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.
18:924(d) & 21:853 & 28:2461(c) CRIMINAL FORFEITURE
(0s)
18:922(g)(1) FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM
(1s)
21:841(a)(1) POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE BASE, POWDER COCAINE, METHAMPHETAMINE, AND MARIJUANA
(2s)
18:922(g)(1) FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION
(4s)
21:841(a)(1) POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE COCAINE BASE, POWDER COCAINE, HEROIN, AND MARIJUANA
(5s)
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to twelve years in prison. Defendant is sentenced to custody of Bureau of Prisons for a term of 144 months, consisting of 120 months as to each of Counts 1s and 4s, and 144 months as to each of Counts 2s and 5s, all such terms to be served concurrently; Supervised release 5 years, consisting of 3 years as to each of Counts 1s and 4s, and 5 years as to each of Counts 2s and 5s, all such terms to run concurrently; S/A Fee $400 due immediately
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: