VALDOSTA — A Valdosta man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jonathan Kunz, 44, of Valdosta pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in a federal district court in Albany, a justice department statement said.

Kunz faces a maximum 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has not been scheduled. There is no parole in the federal system.

On Aug. 20, 2018, officers legally searched Kunz’s residence in Valdosta and found a double barrel 12-gauge shotgun and a gym bag containing a large quantity of ammunition and a magazine, the statement said. Kunz was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a prior Lowndes County Superior Court conviction for distribution of methamphetamine, the justice department said.

“Felons who get caught with guns will face the possibility of federal prison without parole,” Acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in a statement. “I want to thank our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their continued crime reduction efforts across the Middle District of Georgia.”

The Kunz investigation was conducted by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.