Jackson Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon

Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to court documents, Don Cornelius Ward, 38, was found in possession of a firearm by officers of the Jackson Police Department on February 3, 2020.  An individual alerted JPD officers that Ward was asleep in his car which was parked in her carport, and that she wanted Ward to leave her property. Two JPD officers responded and found that Ward had marijuana and a stolen firearm in his car.  Ward has five prior felony convictions.  As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Ward to possess any firearm.

The Jackson Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted 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.