Department of Justice

Jackson, Miss. - A Meridian man pled guilty to three counts of robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

According to court documents, Matthew Byrd, 42, committed four armed robberies of local businesses across Mississippi, between April 20, 2022, and May 15, 2022. During each robbery, Byrd displayed a firearm to intimidate the clerk and steal merchandise and cash from the business. Through the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that Byrd was a convicted felon, previously being convicted of Possession of Methamphetamine and Residential Burglary. As a convicted felon it is contrary to federal law for Byrd to possess any firearm.

Byrd is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department, East Mississippi Drug Task Force, Meridian Police Department, Clinton Police Department, Newton County Sherriff’s Department, and the ATF investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart 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.