VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - A Valdosta man with an extensive felony record has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after illegally possessing a firearm that authorities say was used in a violent assault.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, Charvez Thompson, 33, of Valdosta, was sentenced Tuesday to 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system.

The charges stem from an incident on June 22, 2024, when officers with the Valdosta Police Department responded to a reported assault at a residence.

Investigators said they found the victim with visible injuries, including a head hematoma, after Thompson allegedly struck the victim with a handgun wrapped in electrical tape.

According to court documents, Thompson denied assaulting the victim and claimed he acted in self-defense. However, officers reported seeing no visible injuries on Thompson.

During the investigation, officers found a small-caliber holster attached to Thompson’s boot and recovered a loaded revolver wrapped in electrical tape hidden inside his truck. The victim identified the gun as the weapon used in the assault, and a witness corroborated that account, according to prosecutors.

Federal officials said Thompson has more than a dozen prior felony convictions in Georgia and Florida, including convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

“Violent armed repeat offenders who continually ignore the law and disturb the peace will be held accountable at the federal level for their crimes,” U.S. Attorney Will Keyes said.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Valdosta Police Department as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative focused on reducing violent crime.

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