Natchez Man Pleads Guilty Under Project EJECT to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon
Jackson, Miss – Roy Ray III, 20, of Natchez, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III to possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
On August 1, 2019, Adams County Sheriff’s deputies went to a Natchez home in search of a wanted person. At the home, the deputies encountered Roy Ray III. While not the person deputies were looking for, Ray was arrested based on a warrant that had been issued for him over probation violations. After Ray was placed in custody, deputies discovered he possessed a revolver.
Ray was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 15, 2020, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ray is currently in custody and will be sentenced on June 15, 2021, by Judge Bramlette. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
