From The Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM — Springville Police Department helped investigate a case that led to the arrest of an armed career criminal.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Donald Conelious Voltz, 48, of Oneonta, has been sentenced to 15 years for illegal possession of a firearm on Friday, February 18. Voltz pleaded guilty on July 29, 2021, to unlawfully possessing a Taurus 9mm pistol in January 2020 in St. Clair County.
Voltz is prohibited from having a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions spanning 13 years, and the sentence today reflected his status as an Armed Career Criminal.
Court records state 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.
“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 Prim F. 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.”
“The ATF will continue to investigate, apprehend, and charge the individuals who illegally possess and illegally distribute firearms in our communities,” Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Mickey French said.
The ATF investigated the case along with the Springville Police Department.