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

Jackson, Miss. – Marlandow Johnson, 45, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Henry T. Wingate to possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

On July 2, 2018, Jackson Police officers responded to a disturbance at Studio 7 hotel.  Upon arrival, officers observed objects being thrown from a vehicle leaving the parking lot of the hotel.  Officers stopped the vehicle and, while speaking with the driver, they observed a handgun on the front passenger seat.  The driver was identified as Marlandow Johnson and officers discovered that he had been previously convicted of accessory after the fact to murder.

On October 24, 2018, Johnson was charged in a federal criminal indictment with possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony crime. 

Johnson will be sentenced on June 30, 2020, by Judge Wingate, and faces a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  It 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.