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VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - A South Georgia man faces ten years in federal prison after his conviction on one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Nov. 18.

The guilty verdict against Johnny Will Murray, Jr., 41, of Moultrie, came on Nov. 5 following a three-day trial in Valdosta before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands.

Court documents reveal the case against Murray started on Nov. 11, 2021, when authorities executed a search warrant at his Moultrie home on suspicion of armed drug trafficking.

Investigators say they found illegal drugs and paraphernalia inside Murray’s home. In addition, they report finding a rifle and three additional guns. As a convicted felon, Murray cannot have guns in his possession.

Murray’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine, the DOJ said.

The United States Attorney’s Office Middle District of Georgia said Murray will be sentenced on March 12, 2026.

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