Convicted felons sentenced for having guns

GAINESVILLE - A Gainesville man was sentenced to prison Thursday for having a firearm after being convicted of several felonies.

36 year old George Penn was sentenced to 11 years three months. Penn pleaded guilty to the charges earlier this year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Penn was pulled over in Gainesville in 2010 for a seatbelt violation. Police said they found a gun in the car. His previous convictions included aggravated assault and robbery by intimidation.

In a separate case, 35 year old Douglas E. Perry, Junior of New Jersey, got seven years three months in prison for being a convicted felon with a gun. That arrest happened in Commerce in 2011.

Perry's previous been conviction included distribution of cocaine near a school on two occasions and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

"Experience has shown when felons possess firearms, the propensity for violence to occur increases exponentially," ATF Special Agent in Charge Scott Sweetow said.