Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pleaded guilty to 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 in Mississippi.

According to court documents, on February 3, 2020, Eric Wayne Washington, 50, was found to be in possession of a firearm during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.  Washington was found in the residence and taken into custody.  After Washington identified which bedroom belonged to him, the officers continued their search. A 9mm pistol was found in the bedroom along with methamphetamine.  Washington has multiple prior felony convictions.  As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Washington to possess any firearms or ammunition.

Washington pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) which criminalize the possession of firearms by convicted felons. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14, 2022 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Meridian Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting 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.