Jackson Man Sentenced under Project EJECT to 2 ½ Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Gun

Jackson, Miss. – Bernard Lavon Woofter, 43, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

On February 13, 2018, Woofter was arrested by an officer with the Jackson Police Department following a pat down search wherein the officer discovered Woofter was carrying a Rossi .38 Special revolver in his waistband. He had two previous convictions for felony theft in Knox County, Tennessee, and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.

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 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. 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.