A Statesboro mother and son are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to a firearms charge in a 2023 incident being prosecuted by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jose Miguel Marrero, 27, and his mother Jacqueline Christmas, 50, both of Statesboro, pleaded guilty to a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that Marrero and Christmas purchased multiple handguns from a Bulloch County gun store while falsely claiming that Marrero was the buyer of the guns when they were actually purchased by and delivered to Christmas’ brother-in-law in New York.

The Statesboro residents were part of a group of newly returned indictments, along with defendants who were sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. 

“Illegally possessed firearms continue to present a challenge for law enforcement agencies, including the increasing threat from guns illegally modified for fully automatic fire,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will target these illegal weapons and remove them to make our streets safer.”  

The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the ATF and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.

Among those indicted during the March term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include:

➤ Christopher Jeramy Blair, 44, of Pembroke, charged with possession of firearms by a convicted felon.

➤ Christopher Michael Owens, aka “Lambo,” 41, and Robert Michael Waltz, aka “Hurricane,” both of Hinesville, charged with multiple drug trafficking offenses. Owens and Waltz are charged with possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; Waltz is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine; Owens is charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

All indicted defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include:

Wesley Rosenberg, 25, of Ludowici was sentenced to 20 months in prison and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to engaging in the firearms business without a license. An ATF investigation determined Rosenberg unlawfully imported and sold firearm silencers.

Isaac C. Brown, 40, of Guyton awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Georgia Ports Authority police conducting enhanced screenings at the Garden City Terminal found a pistol inside Brown’s truck in March 2023.

Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense.