St Clair county man sentenced on firearm charges

A St. Clair County man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison on a charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a pistol, which he used in the 2011 shooting death of another man in Ashville.  30 year old Jason Jamael Turner, will also have to serve five years on supervised release by the U.S. Probation Officer once he completes his prison sentence in a sentence ordered by  U.S. District Court Judge Lynwood Smith during a hearing in Huntsville Tuesday   Normally the sentence for a person charged with unlawful transport of a firearm by a felon faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. But Turner's sentence was enhanced by the Armed Career Criminal Act. Under that act, a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence is required for a person convicted of three prior violent felonies or serious drug offense committed in separate incidents.  Prosecutors presented evidence that Turner had been convicted of six different drug crimes.  The firearms charge relates to Turner's involvement in the Oct. 22, 2011 shooting death of 18-year-old Curtis Phillips at a house on Peaceful Valley Road in Ashville, according to his plea agreement with the U.S. Attorneys Office. The shooting happened about 11 p.m. that night, but Turner and Phillips had argued earlier in the evening and both had left to get guns. Turner claimed self-defense.  St. Clair County District Attorney Richard Minor stated in an email today that the case was on the February 2012 Ashville Grand Jury. The Grand Jury returned a no bill in the case - meaning they declined to indict Turner.  A federal grand jury in January, however, indicted Turner related to the .40-caliber Glock pistol he used in the shooting..