Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Illegally Possessing Firearm and Trafficking Methamphetamine

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Brian McIver, 49, of Hattiesburg, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

McIver was previously convicted of felonious possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) in Forrest County in 2007.  On April 29, 2019, during a traffic stop on the campus of the Forrest General Hospital, McIver was found in possession of a firearm as well as methamphetamine.  The methamphetamine was found with a scale.

McIver will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on April 1, 2020, at 9:45 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the two charges.

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.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Forrest General Hospital Department of Public Safety Campus Police investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.