Selma resident receives prison sentence

Published 10:20 am Sunday, May 12, 2019

A Selma resident was sentenced to 100 months in prison after a felony conviction in U.S. Federal Court last week.

Anthony Jerome Ellis, 33, was found guilty of possession of a firearm after conviction of a felony.

Evidence showed on Dec. 16, 2017 that Selma Police officers arrested Ellis and his nephew outside a nightclub called the “Small street Inn.” Officers found a loaded .38 caliber RG revolver and in the area where his nephew squatted was a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol.

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After being transported to the Selma Police Department, a background investigation of Ellis showed he had been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was charged accordingly.  His relative was not a felon and was not charged with a federal crime.

While Ellis awaited trial, he was housed in the Monroe County jail.  While there, he sought the help and advice of an inmate who had been convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Ellis told this inmate the facts of his case and asked the inmate what he thought of Ellis’ chances of “beating” the case. Ellis also told the inmate that “the cops didn’t actually see” [him] toss the gun under the car.”

Ellis further stated that he was going to “tell the cops [he] bent down to pick up a lighter or to tie his shoe.” Ellis bragged that he was going to have his trial in Selma, “because everybody up there knows [him] and they won’t convict [him] in Selma.”

While only one felony conviction was made know to the jury during trial, Ellis had five felony convictions at the time he possessed the .38 caliber Rohm pistol.

The charges include: Assault First Degree (Nov. 13, 2008), Escape Second Degree (July 30, 2007) Certain Persons Forbidden to Carry a Firearm (June 6, 2017), Assault Second Degree, (Oct. 29, 2014) and Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle (June 9, 2011). The cases took place either in the Dallas County Circuit Court or Dallas County District Court.

Officers of the SPD, special agents of the ATF investigated the case and brought it to the U. S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.