Department of Justice

Jackson, Miss. – A Forest man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court documents, Braxton Lee McCann, 32, possessed a 9 mm caliber pistol while using methamphetamine daily. Officers of the Scott County, Mississippi Sheriff’s Office recovered the firearm on March 25, 2022. Further investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) revealed evidence of McCann’s daily use of methamphetamine. As an unlawful user of a controlled substance, it is contrary to federal law for McCann to possess any firearm.

McCann pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(3) and 924(a)(2) which criminalize the possession of firearms by unlawful users of controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 29, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.