Three men arrested by the Jefferson Police Department are facing felony firearm charges for bringing unregistered weapons — including a silencer — across state lines.
David Judge, 35, Zachary Griffin, 24, and Lawrence Dawson, 34, all of Greenville, S.C., were in a speeding 1999 Lincoln Town Car on March 30 when a Jefferson officer stopped it on Interstate 85.
Judge and Dawson have previous felony convictions in other states, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on Thursday. Griffin had been arrested on a driving charge, but had no felony convictions.
The three defendants made an initial court appearance in federal court in Gainesville on Friday. They are each charged with transporting firearms out of state for distribution.
Judge and Dawson were also charged with a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Griffin is facing charges of conspiracy, aiding and abetting, and possession of a non-registered weapon.
The U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) outlined its case against the three defendants in a criminal compliant filed with the federal court.
During the traffic stop on I-85, the Jefferson officer asked the vehicle’s driver, Judge, for his license. Judge opened a center console in the vehicle and the officer could see bullets in a plastic bag, according to court documents.
Judge told the officer there were weapons in the vehicle, and explained that the three men were traveling from Greenville to Atlanta because a cousin had died of cancer. Judge then said he had been convicted in the past of cocaine possession charges.
Judge was taken to the officer’s patrol vehicle while the other passengers were interviewed. Those men told a different story about the reason for their trip to Atlanta, according to court documents.
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