Felon in Possession of a Firearm Sentenced to Five Years in Prison under Project EJECT

Jackson, Miss –Tommy Lee Hunter, Jr., 37, of Jackson, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Carlton W. Reeves to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.

On April 4, 2018, officers with the Jackson Police Department were called to Prentiss Street after reports were received of a person shooting into an occupied vehicle. The reports came from an individual who was assisting someone move out of their home on Henry Street. The individual said that the defendant came outside on Henry Street and began an argument. During the argument, Hunter showed his firearm. The individual left in his vehicle, but Hunter began firing at him. The shots caused damage to the rear bumper of the vehicle as well as breaking the rear glass.  Hunter was identified as the shooter and arrested.  He had a prior felony conviction for Burglary of a Business and Second Degree Arson from Leflore County in 2005.  Hunter was charged in a federal indictment on July 10, 2019 with being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He pled guilty on September 5, 2018.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police and with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

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). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.”  PSN is program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.