Three Selma residents were found guilty of possession of a firearm 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 during a two-day trial on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.

Jermaine Butler, 27, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a Zastava rifle after being convicted of Assault First Degree.

Chadwick J. Blake, 31, was sentenced to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a Taurus 9mm pistol after being convicted of Assault Second Degree.

During Ellis’ trial, 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.

Butler pled guilty on Sept. 25, 2018 and admitted in court that Dallas County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled him over driving a Chevrolet Impala. Deputies smelled marijuana and saw a small amount of it, and rifle on the floorboard of the backseat. He was previously convicted of Assault First Degree on March 3, 2015, in the Dallas County Circuit Court.

On Sept. 28, 2018, Blake pled guilty and admitted in court an Alabama Parole Officer conducted a home visit of Blake at his residence the day of Oct. 24, 2017. The parole officer found one round of 9mm ammunition in Blake’s pocket. The parole officer then searched Blake’s residence. He found a Taurus, model Millennium, G2, 9mm pistol. At the time, he was convicted of second-degree assault on Aug. 12, 2015 in Dallas County Circuit Court.

The SPD, DCSO, special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, investigators from the State Attorneys General’s Office all investigated the cases and brought them to the U.S. Attorney’s office for prosecution.