Man Sentenced to 48 Months for Illegal Firearms Possession while traveling through Georgia

Photo byDCP

Joshua Colston, a 50-year-old resident of Corinth, Mississippi, has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms while traveling through Georgia.

The sentencing, handed down by U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on August 15, 2024, also includes three years of supervised release following Colston's prison term. Colston had previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on October 18, 2023. Federal law does not provide for parole, so Colston will serve the full prison sentence.

Colston, a convicted felon with a history of felony theft and criminal mischief, is also a member of the anti-government extremist group National Constitutional Militia (NCM). He was arrested on December 14, 2022, in Fitzgerald, Georgia, where he was found with five firearms—a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, a .40 semiautomatic pistol, a .22 semiautomatic rifle, a semiautomatic shotgun, and a .44 lever-action rifle—along with a bulletproof vest and over 3,500 rounds of ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds. The .22 rifle had been reported stolen in Alcorn County, Mississippi. Colston also had plans to travel across the country on horseback and live off the grid, which he mentioned during his arrest.

Colston's case drew significant attention due to his involvement in extremist activities. He and other NCM members had engaged in discussions via an encrypted chat application called Zello, where they planned to kidnap or attack federal officials on Thanksgiving Day 2022. However, these plans were not executed, reportedly due to the group's lack of resources and the poor health of its members.

The investigation into Colston's activities was led by the FBI in collaboration with the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary highlighted the commitment of law enforcement to protecting communities from threats posed by armed felons. FBI’s Rich Bilson emphasized that Colston’s incarceration prevents him from acting on his extremist plans. The prosecution was handled by Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes with assistance from the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

Attributions: Middle District of Georgia