Yellowhammer Times

Joseph Ambrose Wilburn, Jr., a resident of Mobile, Alabama, has been sentenced to 156 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moore.

Court documents reveal that on April 11, 2024, the Mobile Police Department received information about an active arrest warrant for Wilburn related to his alleged use of a firearm in the kidnapping and sexual assault of a woman. During a subsequent traffic stop on the same day, authorities discovered Wilburn in possession of two additional firearms. Wilburn's criminal history includes multiple felony convictions such as Domestic Violence – Assault, Criminal Trespass, Possession/Receipt of a Controlled Substance, and Reckless Endangerment.

As part of the legal proceedings, Wilburn was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty to this charge. In addition to his prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.

The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello from the Southern District of Alabama. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the Mobile Police Department.

This case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. The operation leverages resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill and Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case for the United States.