Suspected Polk County gang member pleads guilty to firearm possession

A Cedartown man who federal prosecutors say is a suspected member of a national gang pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm while a convicted felon last week.

According to U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak, the charges and other information presented in court:

On January 30, Cedartown Police Department officers saw Jermaine Courtney Brown — who already had an arrest warrant for felon in possession of a firearm — walking along an intersection in Cedartown.

Brown ran when he saw the officers and after a short chase he was arrested. At that point, Brown said he had a gun in his pants. He also asked one of the officers, “can’t you just throw (the firearm) in the bushes? I already have too many charges on me.”

In addition confiscating loaded Taurus Millennium PT145PRO .45 caliber handgun, the officers also found approximately 26.9 grams of marijuana and a digital scale.

Brown is scheduled to be sentenced at 2 p.m. on November 30, before U.S. District Judge Harold L. Murphy.

“The Cedartown Police Department is committed to working together as a team with local, state, and federal agencies to make our neighborhoods safer by holding those accountable who commit violent crimes in our communities,” said Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome.