Guilty to federal firearm charge

United States Attorney Bill Nettles announces that Mark Stone entered a guilty plea in federal court in Anderson, to Possessing a Firearm after a Felony Conviction.  U- S District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the pre-sentence report.  Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on June 29, 2015, Macon County, North Carolina officers attempted to pull Stone over for speeding.  Stone fled from police, beginning a chase through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.  Stone was eventually arrested in Oconee County, where he fled from officers on foot. Inside Stone’s vehicle, officers found a loaded .22 caliber rifle with a round in the chamber. Because of prior convictions, including burglary, Stone was prohibited from carrying firearms at the time of his arrest.  Nettles stated the maximum penalty for Possessing a Firearm after a Felony Conviction is imprisonment for Life, and/or a fine of $250,000. The case was investigated by agents of the ATF, Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the Rabun County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Schoen of the Greenville office is prosecuting the case.