Mississippi Felon Imprisoned for Gun Violations, Was National Constitutional Militia Member
Joshua Colston, 50, of Corinth, Miss., has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for possessing weapons as a felon. Here, he is shown in his LinkedIn profile photo. In his profile, he claims he worked as a heavy equipment operator.
Joshua Colston, 50, from Corinth, Miss., was sentenced to 48 months in prison on Aug. 15, followed by three years of supervised release after his guilty plea was entered in October 2023 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to a DOJ press release.
Planned Thanksgiving Kidnappings
Colston, a convicted felon and member of an anti-government extremist group, was allegedly involved in discussions to attack and kidnap federal officials on Thanksgiving Day 2022 via an online platform.
FBI agents discovered that individuals, including Colston, were having discussions on a Zello chat channel named “NCM Leadership,” according to the press release. “NCM” is an acronym for National Constitutional Militia, the name of “an anti-government extremist organization.” Zello is a “push-to-talk walkie-talkie app.”
On December 14, 2022, Colston visited Fitzgerald, Georgia, to purchase horses, but while there, FBI agents took Colston into custody, according to the initial DOJ press release. Colston told the FBI agents that he was planning to go “off the grid” and ride across the country on horseback for several years.
Five Firearms and Armor-Piercing Ammo
The FBI agents found five firearms in Colston’s possession, which he knew he was not supposed to have because of his prior felony convictions, according to Colston’s indictment and subsequent change of plea.
The illegal firearms Colston possessed were:
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- 9mm semi-automatic pistol
- .40 semi-automatic pistol
- .22 semi-automatic rifle
- 12-gauge, semi-automatic shotgun
- .44 Remington Magnum, level-action rifle
The .22 rifle had been reported stolen in Alcorn County, Mississippi, the initial 2023 press release detailed. Colston also had a large amount of ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds, as well as a bulletproof vest in his vehicle.
Criminal Mischief and Third Degree Theft
Colston had previously been convicted of criminal mischief felony offense and third-degree felony theft in Texas. Hence, having firearms of any kind was against the law, according to the initial press release.
“Safeguarding our communities from all threats is the top priority of our office and of law enforcement at every level. Illegally armed convicted felons will face federal prosecution when they are caught with guns in the Middle District of Georgia,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said in the 2024 DOJ press release.
“FBI is determined to hold convicted felons illegally possessing firearms accountable for their crimes,” Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Albany office, also said in that release.
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