Guns seized after man’s mental issues, police later returned them, then charged him with illegally possessing them
Published 6:27 am Monday, May 20, 2019
A Mississippi man has been sentenced to time served for illegally using drugs while possessing guns that had been seized when he was committed to a mental health hospital. Those guns were later returned to him by police.
Twenty-eight-year-old Stephen Drew Montana says he has spent about 15 months in jail since his arrest in April 2018 on federal charges of possessing the weapons after being committed. The Sun Herald of Biloxi reports the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed last week to drop those charges.
Montana asked for his weapons months after being committed, saying he was clear of mental issues. His lawyer said Pascagoula police failed to check records that would’ve shown the commitment.
Montana was also sentenced to at least 30 days of inpatient drug and mental health treatment.