A convicted felon from Birmingham, Alabama, has been sentenced to five years in prison for illegal firearm possession. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Field Division.
Herman Dewayne Steen, aged 35, received a 60-month sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala after pleading guilty in November 2024 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The plea agreement detailed two separate incidents involving Steen's illegal possession of firearms. On December 14, 2022, Steen was found with a firearm at a bus station in Birmingham. A Birmingham Police officer responded to multiple calls about Steen that day and was informed by a security guard that he had a gun. The officer confiscated a loaded Glock 9mm pistol from him.
In another incident on March 12, 2023, Steen visited the Jefferson County Jail to report an assault in the Center Point area. During this visit, he complained of dizziness and head pain. While preparing for transport by Birmingham Fire and Rescue, a sheriff’s deputy discovered a loaded Taurus .380 caliber pistol in his pocket.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Birmingham Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples handling the prosecution.