Pascagoula Man Pleads Guilty Under Project EJECT to being a Convicted Felon Illegally Possessing a Firearm
Gulfport, Miss. – Lawrence Lavoy Jackson, 36, of Pascagoula, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On September 2, 2019, Moss Point Police officers encountered Jackson in a vehicle parked in front of a store in Jackson County. The vehicle was running, with the reverse lights on, and Jackson appeared to be asleep at the wheel of the vehicle. The police tapped on the window several times to get Jackson to respond. The officer had Jackson step out of the vehicle and found a 9 mm pistol in his waist band and 7 rounds of ammunition. Jackson had previous felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On September 2, 2019, Jackson was indicted by a federal grand jury, charging him with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Jackson will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on January 21, 2021, at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of not more than 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Moss Point Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
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.
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