Blount County Man Sentenced To 15 Years On Weapons Charges

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A Blount County man was sentenced in federal court in Birmingham to 15 years in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced 48-year-old Donald Conelious Voltz of Oneonta after he pleaded guilty to the weapons charge July 29, 2021.

Voltz is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions spanning 13 years, and the sentence pronounced today reflected his status as an Armed Career Criminal.

According to court records, on January 12, 2020, a Springville Police Officer stopped a silver Cadillac Deville, driven by Voltz, after observing that the tag on the car was registered to a different car. The officer approached the car and asked Voltz if he had been drinking. Voltz denied drinking and gave the officer a name that turned out to be false. Voltz was arrested for driving under the influence.

During a subsequent search of the Cadillac, officers found a Taurus 9mm pistol under the center armrest. The gun was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition, and Voltz did not have a permit for the firearm.

The ATF investigated the case along with the Springville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristy Peoples and Melissa Atwood prosecuted the case.

“Armed Career Criminals pose a threat to our communities, and we are grateful for the work of the Springville Police Department in apprehending this criminal.,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, we will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to address violent crime in the Northern District of Alabama.”