Skip to main content
Press Release

Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Mississippi

Jackson, Miss. – Albert Thompson, 24, of Jackson, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Tom S. Lee to possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

On January 21, 2019, Jackson Police officers responded to a possible house burglary in the city of Jackson.  Upon arrival, officers observed three men matching descriptions provided via 911.  Officers pursued the three men on foot.  One of the men, Albert Thompson, brandished a handgun towards an officer which caused the officer to draw her service weapon.  However, that officer was able to order Thompson to the ground and avoid deadly force.  Thompson had been previously convicted of multiple house burglaries in 2012 and served time for those.

On April 16, 2019, Thompson was charged in a federal indictment with possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime.  

Thompson will be sentenced by Judge Lee on April 30, 2020, at 9:00 a.m.  He faces a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and 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.

 

Updated January 30, 2020

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Guardian
Project Safe Neighborhoods