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VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) -According to a release from the Department of Justice, a Southwest Georgia man with a history of criminal convictions pleaded guilty this week to illegally possessing a firearm.

On Feb. 19, 2025, Eric Jerome Tooley, 46, of Hahira, Georgia, fired three shots inside a Mega Mart convenience store on North Lee Street in Valdosta, putting innocent customers in danger.

According to court documents, Tooley became agitated with a store clerk over a lighter. After pointing his pistol at the cashier, he turned the weapon and fired between two customers standing nearby. A police officer on patrol heard the gunshots and quickly spotted Tooley heading toward a nearby grocery store. With backup arriving within moments, officers safely apprehended Tooley near East Jane Street.

Video surveillance from the store captured the incident.

Tooley, a convicted felon with prior drug distribution convictions in both Cobb County and Lowndes County, Georgia, is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm. His actions demonstrate what law enforcement calls an “armed career criminal”—an offender who combines a violent history with the illegal use of weapons.

On Jan. 22, Tooley pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands. As an armed career criminal, he faces:

• Mandatory minimum sentence: 15 years in federal prison
• Maximum sentence: Life in prison
• Additional penalties: 5 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine
• Parole: None available in the federal system

A sentencing date will be determined by the court.

“Armed repeat offenders found endangering people’s safety will find their cases prosecuted at the federal level, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend the bravery displayed by the responding Valdosta Police Department officers and their work to safely apprehend the defendant.”

Beau Kolodka, ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the seriousness of the crime: “This defendant’s actions showed a complete disregard for human life—firing inside a business and endangering innocent bystanders. ATF will continue to work alongside the Valdosta Police Department and our law enforcement partners to ensure repeat violent offenders are removed from our communities.”

Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan added, “This case is a great example of the importance of collaboration between local, state, and federal partners. We thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligence and leadership in prosecuting this violent offender and helping to protect our community.”

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at:

• Addressing illegal immigration
• Eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations
• Protecting communities from violent crime

The Valdosta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit is prosecuting the case for the Government.

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