A Chattanooga man has been sentenced to serve 51 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a weapon.
Thomas "Gotti" Ellis IV appeared before Judge Charles Atchley.
On May 11, 2022, Chattanooga Police officers observed a stolen vehicle on Milne Street. Officers conducted a traffic stop and detained the defendant, who was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle.
Officers searched the vehicle and recovered a Kel-Tec, 9-millimeter pistol underneath the driver’s seat.
The defendant was arrested and transported to the Hamilton County Silverdale Detention Facility.
An ATF Special Agent reviewed a recorded jail call made by the defendant shortly after his arrest. During the call, he said, "They charged me with a car and my gun.”
Ellis admitted he knowingly possessed a firearm and prior to possessing the gun, he was a convicted felon, having sustained at least the following convictions - possession of marijuana for resale, forgery, and failure to appear.