Riverdale Man Gets More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison After Stolen Gun Found During I-75 Traffic Stop

MACON, Ga. – A Riverdale man with multiple prior felony convictions has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after deputies found a stolen handgun beneath his seat during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in Butts County.

La’Qyale Emmanuel Fortson, 35, was sentenced Sept. 3 to 100 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty May 19 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to federal court records, a Butts County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped Fortson after seeing his vehicle following a tractor-trailer too closely on I-75.

The deputy reported smelling marijuana after Fortson rolled down his window. Fortson initially denied smoking marijuana, and the deputy used a narcotics detection dog to conduct a free-air sniff around the vehicle.

After the dog alerted in two areas, the deputy told Fortson the vehicle would be searched. Fortson then acknowledged having marijuana in the center console, according to prosecutors.

The search turned up a small amount of suspected marijuana, an open bottle of tequila behind the passenger seat and an unloaded Glock pistol underneath the driver’s seat.

Authorities determined the handgun had been reported stolen in East Point. Fortson told investigators he bought the gun from one of his “weed buddies” and acknowledged knowing that his felony record prohibited him from possessing a firearm, according to court records.

Fortson’s criminal history includes previous convictions for aggravated assault, obstructing a peace officer and battery.

U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell imposed the 100-month sentence. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

The Butts County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.