A Grovetown felon indicted for having a machine gun and an Augusta man with a prior manslaughter conviction face prison sentences in the latest federal crackdown on illegal gun possession.
Daveon Daniels, 25, of Grovetown, was indicted for illegal possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia.
Daniels is the father of Phoenix Daniels, the four-year-old who fatally shot herself after picking up her father’s loaded gun off the floor. Daniels faces second-degree murder charges in Columbia County.
In addition, Justin Anthony Brown, 32, of Augusta, was indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The indicted defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District. “This effort is a vital step in reducing gun violence in our communities.”
The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns.
Another defendant recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges was Christopher David Baskett, 46, of Augusta.
Baskett awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Baskett in September 2020 while investigating reports of gunfire in downtown Augusta. Baskett has a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter in South Carolina.
Susan McCord is a staff writer with The Augusta Press. Reach her at susan@theaugustapress.com
