Jackson Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Jackson, Miss. – Jeremy Jerome Fletcher, 28, of Jackson, pled guilty today before United States District Judge Tom S. Lee to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

On or about December 13, 2017, Jackson Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Highway 80 near Valley Street in Jackson, Mississippi, of a vehicle occupied by three individuals. The front seat passenger was Jeremy Jerome Fletcher. Upon running a check, it was determined that the driver had active warrants out of Carroll County and both Fletcher and the rear passenger had warrants for traffic violations. All were arrested and an inventory of the vehicle revealed a loaded .22 caliber revolver inside a yellow towel underneath the front passenger seat. A records check revealed that on April 21, 2014, Fletcher had been sentenced in the Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi, to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, with twelve (12) years suspended, and five (5) years of supervised probation, for the felony offense of robbery. Fletcher was on probation at the time of the subject traffic stop.

After being Mirandized and waiving his rights, Fletcher gave a confession that the .22 caliber revolver was his and stated when they drove past the police officer, he placed the gun under his seat (the front passenger seat). He further stated he purchased it approximately one month prior for $65.00.

Fletcher is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lee on August 23, 2018 at 10:00 a.m., and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha Middleton.

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 Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. 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.