ATF Crime Initiative Yields Several Firearms Arrests in Tuscaloosa

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently made over 30 arrests in an effort to reduce violent crime and illegal firearm possession in Tuscaloosa, according to a release from the  U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of Alabama.

A federal grand jury indicted several individuals in April on firearm offenses. Among those included in the release are:

• Stanley Darnelius Wilder, 26, of Tuscaloosa, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Antawn Devonte Marshall, 25, of Eutaw, charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Johnny Dewayne Wells, 31, of Tuscaloosa, charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
• Charles Anthony Leatherwood, Jr., 20, of Tuscaloosa, charged with possession of a stolen firearm and being an unlawful and addicted user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm.

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The release also announced the sentence of a Tuscaloosa man who pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm in December 2021.  Donovan Logan Crawley, 32, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the case.

In addition, the Tuscaloosa Police partnered with ATF on a two-day operation, resulting in the arrest of 35 individuals on various offenses, including narcotics possession, pistol possession without a permit, distribution of narcotics, and assault, among other charges.

“The individuals who knowingly and unlawfully possess firearms, distribute narcotics, and use illegal substances while possessing firearms are a huge concern for law enforcement,” ATF Special Agent in Charge Mickey French said in the release.

"We expect additional prosecutions in the near future as we continue to focus on the scourge of violent crime," U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona said. "We are committed to working with our state and local partners in Tuscaloosa to make our communities safer.”