A Valdosta man with previous drug convictions has been sentenced to nearly 19 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Cedric Jerome Maxwell, 49, received a sentence of 230 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release from Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on February 26. Maxwell pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025, to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits parole.
“It is illegal for felony offenders to possess a firearm. Our office will seek federal prosecution against armed repeat offenders who continue to commit crimes in the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We are thankful to our law enforcement partners for their collaboration to hold convicted felons accountable for breaking the law and working to make our communities safer for everyone.”
“The illegal possession of firearms by repeat offenders poses a threat to our neighborhoods. The ATF stands firm in its mission to deny criminals access to firearms, partnering with local law enforcement to ensure justice is served,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
“We are thankful for the relationships we maintain with federal, state and local law enforcement to help get repeat criminals with guns off the streets and hold them accountable,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, officers from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office stopped Maxwell’s vehicle on June 2, 2022, after he failed to maintain his lane. Investigators reported smelling marijuana and conducted a search of the car. They found cash bundles, cocaine inside a blue zip pouch, red and blue pills that tested positive as methamphetamine, marijuana in the back seat, and a .40 caliber firearm located in the middle console. Maxwell has three prior felony drug convictions.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a national Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling criminal organizations such as cartels, and addressing violent crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) worked alongside the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting this case.
