COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — A Columbus convicted felon is sentenced to five years in federal prison for illegally possession of a machine gun.

According to Attorney’s Office, Tyquerrious Ford, 23, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 3. Ford pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun on Dec. 20, 2022.

Co-defendant, Bernard Shaw, 23, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on April 13. Shaw pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Dec. 7, 2022, the Attorney’s Office says.

According to court documents, Columbus Police Department (CPD) officers stopped a vehicle with multiple traffic violations on April 24, 2022. Ford was driving the vehicle and did not have a license. He attempted to walk away from the officers and was detained. Shaw, who was a passenger, got out of the car and fled the scene.

As per the Attorney’s Office, deputies found a loaded pistol with a magazine, a stolen semiautomatic pistol, bags of marijuana, a scale and 100 small baggies in the vehicle.

Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputies and FBI agents located Shaw in a car in Columbus on July 22, 2022, and detained him. Officers found a loaded semiautomatic rifle with two magazines in the car.

Ford and Shaw both have prior convictions in different cases. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. Attorney’s Office stated they are members of Zohannon, a Columbus-based criminal street gang.