I am not justifying anything, I am asking you to support your claim.
Can you do so or not?
Penalties for Possession by A Prohibited Person
Absent sentencing enhancements for armed career criminals, 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2) provides that the
maximum penalty for most prohibited persons in possession of a firearm is 10 years and $250,000. The
outcome in most cases will be determined by the sentencing guidelines. A prohibited person who is found in
possession of one gun but who has no prior record will likely receive approximately 15-21 months. A
prohibited person with a substantial record that includes one conviction for a crime of violence or drug
trafficking is eligible for a sentence of approximately 70-87 months.
Armed career criminals receive enhanced penalties in the federal system. This office considers the
prosecution of armed career criminals to be of the highest importance. An armed career criminal is a person
who has three or more convictions for a serious drug offense or a felony crime of violence, which includes
crimes that have, as an element, the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force against the person
of another. A defendant who falls into this category faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 924(e