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Century T-ball Coach Sentenced On Federal Weapons Charges
September 19, 2013
A Century man arrested on federal weapons charges while coaching t-ball is headed to federal prison.
Joshua Duane Griffis, age 26 of North Century Boulevard, was sentenced by Senior Judge Lacey Collier to seven years in federal prison followed by three years supervised released after his conviction on charges of unlawful transport of firearms and transport of stolen firearms.
ATF Special Agent George Bruno testified that in September 2012 Griffis went to the home of a person known to him on Green Village Road near Walnut Hill and advised the resident that he needed to retrieve a cell phone charger from a bedroom. The resident complied.
Later that evening, the resident discovered his .22 caliber revolver was missing. The victim’s wife confronted Griffis. According to an arrest report, and he said that he had let a friend working offshore borrow the gun but it would be returned soon. Agent Bruno testified that Griffis instead pawned the firearm at State Line Pawn in Atmore on September 27, 2012.
Court documents show Griffis has prior adult felony convictions for grand theft, fraudulent use of credit cards, two counts of burglary of a dwelling, two counts of concealing information to obtain a prescription and receiving stolen property. His record also includes 13 misdemeanor convictions for worthless checks, two counts of petit theft, two counts of driving while license suspended and domestic violence third degree assault.
Just eight days before the firearm was pawned, Griffis was sentenced to two years probation and a suspended year in jail for receiving stolen property and domestic violence offenses. Court documents also reflect that Griffis has substance abuse issues.
Griffis was taken into custody without incident as he coached a little league t-ball game at a Century ballpark last May. He was escorted off the field by deputies and handcuffed out of sight of children, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). A federal magistrate ruled that Griffis posed a danger to the community and ordered him held without bond until his trial.
Comments
18 Responses to “Century T-ball Coach Sentenced On Federal Weapons Charges”
CONTEMPLATING:
“felony charges should be reserved for heinous crimes only (example: murder, robbery, kid napping, molestations, etc.) .”
Would stealing guns be on your list or should that be allowed?
Does it realy matter how people steal from other people, over and over?
David for good laws
good people
Our founding fathers gave us the right to bare arms. This right is taken away when someone is convicted of a felony. This is why felony charges should be reserved for heinous crimes only (example: murder, robbery, kid napping, molestations, etc.) .
CONSIDERING:
“7 years sure seems like a long time”
Repeat offenders.
Most crimes are committed by repeat offenders.
Law makers decided to come down harder on those who don’t learn their lesson after the first couple of felony convictions (no telling how many crimes were not caught). It winds up reducing crime by keeping the worst criminals in jail longer where they can‘t prey on innocent people. I don’t have any grudge against him but that’s the thinking and it is reasonable.
To avoid long sentences, don’t commit multiple crimes.
David for discouraging predation
He’s a liar and a thief. He should not be allowed near children in any type of organized sports since coaches should be good role models.
To Lady:
Since he was sentenced by Judge Lacy Collier, he is doing FEDERAL time. That means he’ll have access to help with any addiction and anger problems he may have. He’ll probably be eligible for the 500 hour residential drug abuse program where he’ll most likely get better help than he would in a program on the streets. The federal system does NOT want these guys back, so the attempt to educate them and rehabilitate them to the greatest extent possible.
For those of you who are commenting on the time he got, you have to realize he was sentenced on WEAPONS charges, and those carry a pretty stiff penalty in the federal system. His previous criminal behavior may have been used to enhance his sentence, but probably not by much.
He’s going where he needs to be. If he can’t straighten up with all the opportunities he’ll have available to him, then he needs to stay locked up for the rest of his life, because he’ll never make the choice to change.
The guy is a scumbag, the fact that he was a T-ball coach was merely a ploy to hide his real criminal past and present status. Prison is where he belongs and he got off light, 7 years is not enough. The bleeding hearts need to wake up, this is a career criminal, he has no intention of ever doing the right thing. After 7 years if he even does the whole sentence he will be right back out there to prey on someone else, maybe even one of you bleeding hearts…wake up folks, with all the bad things that are happening across this country right now, we haven’t seen anything yet…prepare yourselves…
The comments about him being able to coach because he hasnt committed a crime against a child is just ridiculous. Alot of children look up to adults or people they are around. What kind of example does that set if your escorted off the field in the middle of a t-ball game. Also the ones who say ” well at least he’s out there coaching” if you don’t want to go out and get a job then I would think you would have plenty of time for other things like the things he’s done and coaching t-ball. If your a convicted felon you shouldn’t even be allowed to step on a field with children of any age.
I do not know this man or his family, but 7 years sure seems like a long time for this crime when other thugs get less than this for shooting or stabbing someone.
If he was an active drug user with anger issues he ought to seek a career in entertainment, since that seems to be the requirement for so many “role models” today.
If his actions bring shame on his family, that’s on him, not the ones who call them shameful.
Further, slavery being illegal, he owns himself and is responsible for the consequences of his personal decisions.
Yes, programs exist to help people straighten their lives out IF THEY ARE WILLING, but it is NOT other people’s fault if they aren’t.
At some point everybody gotta grow up and own up to their personal responsibilities to their country, community and family.
David for personal growth
and grownups
If his actions bring shame on his family, that’s on him, not the lnes who call them shameful.
Further, slavery being illegal, he owns himself and is responsible for the consequences of his personal decisions.
Yes, programs exist to help people straighten their lives out IF THEY ARE WILLING, but it is NOT other people’s fault if they aren’t.
At some point everybody gotta grow up and own up to their personal responsibilities to their country, community and family.
David for personal growth
and grownups
@Lady,
Keep dreaming lady. You might fight it hard to believe, but there are people who absolutely do not and will not do the right thing. It’s not because they do not get the “help” they need, it’s because they just don’t want to. Society has always had them and society will continue to always have them. Some “things” cannot be picked up on the clean end or polished. Of course, you could prove us wrong and move him into your house. :-/
The biggest mistake our courts are doing isnot providing a place where people like this can get “free” help. If you sentence them and it’s drug related, the courts put them in jail or in prison, feed them, provide a place for them to stay whether it’s in jail or prison but DO NOTHING to help them over drug addiction. We cannot keep putting them in prison without help. When they get out they are given a bus ticket back to the place they were sentenced and $10.00 to eat on so what happens, they go back to the only way they know to survive and that is stealing and selling to buy more drugs because that is the only way they can survive. ASK THE PRISONERS WHO ARE ON WORK RELEASE AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THIS STORY.; Wake up courts and quit thinking about getting court costs out of these people and the ones who don’t have these costs are slammed in prison. I feel this young man should have been put in a rehab facility where they are helped with their problem. Sure it costs money but it saves money also when they are NOT IN PRISON. Please let’s help these young people. Maybe if he was brought in and told he had to pay for the stolen goods weekly or however he could, maybe this young man could have been saved. From everything I’ve read he was trying to help the youth and maybe this time he would have become a good father this time. I agree he should not have been left alone with the kids but no one did their homework on this. He truly has a long list of “bad stuff” but here again the courts should come up with a facility in Century and every community to “HELP” our young adults. The lawyers and judges are all for making money and that is their primary concern.
Really people he was coaching a team that HIS DAUGHTER and HIS NEPHEW played for. Yes Josh has had his problems and he is paying for his crime. But all of you need to respect the fact that Josh’s daughter is old enough to read some of your commits. You dont want your kids playing for Century, fine let them play some where else. But each and everyone of you need to ask yourself have you ever done anything wrong, Guess what your answer would be YES. so leave Josh alone, let him pay for what he did and move on. Century Little League is a wonderful organization. and For all the parents who take the time to get out and do something with their kids, Good Job. the only reason the coaching was mentioned in this story is obviously because someone has a person vendetta with Josh and the Century Little League.
Now Josh maybe you will get the help you need. Everyone that reads about you on NE or in the newspaper, all they think is the negative and say bad things. No one really knows you or the things you have been through. A lot of people do not know hard it is to overcome an addiction. Its kills me that people are still going on about him being allowed to coach. I believe the facts are pretty much straight forward, if no crime has been committed against children, then they allow you to coach, Its not a matter of who he is related to. I’m praying for you everyday Josh and ready for you to come home but I know that you need help and this may be the only way you get it. You have me and you family supporting you.
Keep your head up. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.
I love you Josh<3
In response to Larry, I didn’t ready anywhere where Dewayne made comment of this guy being a predator or a pervert. I’m just making an assumption here but I’m pretty sure he is thinking the same way a lot of are. I do believe that some charges should be overlooked and exempt, but he has a whole laundry list. My biggest concern being his known drug use and assault charges. I mean the others are of great concern too, but if a person is known to be an active drug abuser with anger problems do you really think he should be coaching our youth? I pray he gets the help he needs and I do believe he has the ability to change and one day become a responsible coach!
Its crazy, but in Century they do not enforce background checks. They go off word of mouth. Being that this guy is the brother/brother n law of the few that took it over he got away with it. I do not know why parents didn’t stand up for their children considering that everyone is pretty much aware of his behavior. To justify their accountability in letting him coach, they said because he had no charges that involved a child and that he had never done anything to hurt a child. Its sad and that is why my kids didn’t play ball there, our own hometown.
The fact of the matter is, is that just because he has a criminal record, doesn’t make him a predator. Granted he should do his time but don’t try and suggest he is a perv as well. He will do his time for his crime, but obviously there hasn’t been any suggestion he was inappropriate with children. We have to be careful what we say, especially when it is based on conjecture and not fact.
How was he ever allowed to coach..what happen to his back ground check..this is a shame for him to ever been allowed around children. .I say there is another o roblem thay needs to be addressed as well…this should be looked into and addressed ASAP..