Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison After Being Convicted at Trial of Unlawfully Possessing Drugs and Guns
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Jamir Foushee, a/k/a “Jamir Young,” 32, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced to sentenced to 20 years in prison by United States District Judge Michael M. Baylson for multiple narcotics and firearms offenses. The charges against the defendant stemmed from his unlawful possession of these items while riding in a car stopped by Philadelphia police in the Kensington section of the city.
In June 2021, the defendant was found guilty by a jury of possession with intent to distribute “crack” cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The evidence presented at trial proved that, in April 2019, Foushee was riding as a passenger in his own car when it was stopped for a traffic violation by Philadelphia Police officers. After observing the defendant reach under his seat, officers discovered a handgun under that seat. The defendant then stated to officers that the guns and drugs in the car were his. Police detained Foushee and the driver of the vehicle, searched the car, and found crack cocaine packaged for sale, as well as two additional firearms. At the time of the incident, the defendant was a convicted felon and was not allowed by law to possess a firearm.
“Drug distribution and gun violence are an epidemic in Philadelphia, and the federal government is aggressively prosecuting both; we are ‘All Hands On Deck’ to get dangerous criminals like this defendant off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As a previously convicted felon, Foushee knew all too well that he is prohibited from possessing a firearm, , and his simultaneous possession of illegal narcotics made him even more dangerous. We want to thank our law enforcement partners in this case, the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department, for their hard work and dedication.”
“A convicted felon carrying drugs and guns clearly threatens the safety of the community,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “A jury convicted this defendant of federal crimes and with this jail sentence, he will no longer be in a position to harm anyone for quite some time. Thank you to our partners at the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued support in combating violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David E. Troyer, and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Randall Warden.
