Felon gets 7 years after gun found during rape arrest, prosecutors say
ROME, Ga. - A Hiram man with a criminal past has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after deputies found a gun on him while arresting him for rape, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
What we know:
The sentencing follows an August 2025 bench trial where the judge convicted 46-year-old Richard Cornell Brown of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Brown’s federal charge stemmed from an arrest on May 10, 2023, when the Paulding County Sheriff's Office took him into custody on state rape and sodomy charges following an alleged attack on a Paulding County woman. While arresting him, deputies discovered a pistol in Brown's possession. Federal law strictly prohibited him from owning or carrying any firearms because of his criminal record.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Brown is a three-time convicted felon. His record includes a state conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and an earlier federal conviction for illegal gun possession. That prior federal case was brought after Brown threatened clerks at the federal courthouse in Rome and recorded videos of himself shooting at campaign signs for the Bartow County sheriff.
What they're saying:
Federal prosecutors and local law enforcement emphasized that Brown's repeated offenses showed a complete disregard for the law and the safety of the community.
"Felons who possess firearms represent a very real danger to the community," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Brown’s actions demonstrate his utter disregard for the law, and the Court’s substantial sentence ensures that he will pose no threat to our community for nearly a decade."
FBI Georgia Supervisory Senior Special Agent Mitchell Jackson of the Cartersville Resident Agency stated that felons in possession of a gun can lead to "dangerous consequences."
What we don't know:
Authorities have not provided an update on the current status or trial schedule of Brown's state rape and sodomy charges in Paulding County.
The Source: Information in this article was gathered from an official press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.