Atlanta man gets 15 years for selling fentanyl while armed with machine gun

An Atlanta man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling fentanyl and possessing a machine gun as a twice-convicted felon.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee sentenced Reginald Pierce, 28, on July 30. Prosecutors described him as a "violent repeat offender who trafficked lethal fentanyl while armed with a machine gun."

Court records show Pierce was arrested May 30, 2023, after a Fulton County Sheriff's Office investigator stopped a vehicle in which he was riding. Pierce tried to run and tackled the investigator before he was arrested, according to court records.

Authorities recovered an illegally converted, fully automatic pistol that was later linked to a drive-by shooting in East Point one week earlier.

Officers also found more than 460 fentanyl pills, $10,020 in cash and other drugs, including oxycodone and methamphetamine pills, inside and near the vehicle.

"This outcome demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships and collaborations between local and federal agencies," Fulton County Sheriff Patrick "Pat" Labat said. "Apprehending dangerous criminals is a vital part of our mission at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office to keep the members of our community safe."

"Machine gun conversion devices transform firearms into exceptionally dangerous weapons that have no place in our communities," said Benjamin Gibbons, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Atlanta Field Division.

Pierce's criminal history includes convictions for armed robbery and a gang-related aggravated assault in which five people were stabbed.