Gang member sentenced for gun crime linked to domestic violence investigation in Columbus

A gang member has been sentenced to serve more than 17 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm linked to a domestic violence assault, according to the Department of Justice.

The DOJ said Megail Thirkield, 34, of Columbus pleaded guilty on July 18 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“There are serious repercussions for violent offenders caught with firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary in a statement.

Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman added that his agency would continue to work with federal authorities to combat gun violence.

“Guns, gangs and acts of violence create a combination that yields a bad outcome,” Countryman said in a statement.

Police reports detail Thirkield stalked and harassed the same victim and allegedly threatened her while pointing a gun at her head and firing several shots in the air, according to the DOJ release.

Thirkield also allegedly attacked the victim, sometimes in the presence of her children, the DOJ said.

The DOJ said on June 9, 2022, an MCSO investigator saw him walking in the middle of Colorado Street in Columbus. Thirkield entered a house and was found by law enforcement in a back bedroom under a pile of clothes, according to the DOJ

Thirkield was taken into custody in possession of a pistol that was linked to the domestic violence incidents through the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).

“This case is another example of law enforcement taking advantage of proven ballistics technology like NIBIN to help solve gun cases and bring dangerous individuals to justice,” said Leary in a statement.

Thirkield is a confirmed member of the Gangster Disciples with a history of criminal activity, according to the DOJ.