Felon caught with gun on day of prison release gets 57 months (PHOTOS)

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS – A convicted felon who was caught with a loaded rifle just hours after getting out of prison was sentenced Tuesday to just under five years in prison.

After Alan Fraiser Cox was released from state prison on April 8, he bought a .270 Browning rifle from a person in Tallahassee, according to the DeFuniak Springs Police Department. An informant alerted authorities about Cox’ purchase and police pulled him over on U.S. Highway 90 while he was on his way to report to his probation officer.

Cox was found with the rifle and a loaded magazine with both live and spent rounds, according to a Police Department news release. He was charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, violation of conditional release and violation of probation.

He was sentenced Tuesday to 57 months prison, 3 years supervised release and various fines, according to the news release. Cox was previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony DUI, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and culpable negligence for leaving a firearm in access to a minor resulting in death.

In March 2007, Cox’ then-14-year-old son shot a 17-year-old boy in the throat. The two friends had joked about shooting each other and planned to go hunting the day of the shooting. The boy was found guilty of manslaughter later that year.