Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
SAVANNAH, GA: On December 3, 2025, a Savannah man was sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Possession of Ammunition following a shooting.
Charlie Sapp, 58, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Randal Hall after being convicted at trial on the charge of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person said Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Sapp received the maximum sentenced allowed by law. Judge Randal Hall also ordered Sapp to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, in addition to a $1,500 fine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This prosecution should send a clear message to those that violate the law in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap. “This office will work tirelessly to ensure the community is protected from violent felons.”
According to trial documents, on October 8, 2021, Sapp retrieved a loaded firearm from a vehicle, confronted an individual in an apartment complex parking lot, pointed the firearm at that individual, and then fired three shots. The individual Sapp shot died on the scene. While the weapon used in the shooting was never recovered, officers with the Savannah Police Department recovered two shell casings on the scene. Those shell casings were enough to convict Sapp in the U.S. District Court. Sapp was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
At sentencing, Judge Hall agreed to the Government’s request to enhance Sapp’s sentence on the ammunition charge because his conduct constituted second-degree murder. Due to Sapp illegally possessing ammunition, a Savannah man lost their life.
Sapp was previously tried for this conduct in November 2022 by the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office. That trial did not result in a conviction.
“Every bullet represents a potential threat to public safety; we will continue to work diligently to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.
The case was being investigated by the ATF, Savannah Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura.