Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

FLINT, Mich. — Julius K. Jordan, 26, of Mobile, Alabama was sentenced yesterday to over 15 years in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced.

Ison was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Detroit Field Division, and Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office.

U.S. District Court Judge F. Kay Behm imposed sentence on Jordan following his guilty plea to conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle.

According to court documents, on Feb. 7, 2022, an individual identified as Person-1 solicited Jordan and his co-defendant Reginald L. Hunter to travel from Alabama to Flint, to murder someone in exchange for money. Person-1 sent money to Hunter and Jordan to travel to Michigan. Once Jordan and Hunter arrived in Michigan, they met with Person-1 who provided Jordan and Hunter with assault rifles. They later began looking for the individual who they were hired to kill.

On the evening of Feb. 15, 2022, as Jordan and Hunter drove through a neighborhood looking for their intended victim, Jordan failed to stop at a stop sign. Michigan State Police troopers saw Jordan roll through the stop sign and conducted a traffic stop. During the stop, the troopers saw the assault rifles in the car. They seized a short barrel semi-automatic rifle with a collapsible stock from the floorboard near Jordan’s feet. They also seized another semi-automatic rifle from the front passenger floorboard near Hunter’s feet. Both rifles were loaded with chambered rounds and high-capacity magazines.

“This investigation is a great example of good police work by Michigan State Police; they thwarted a fatal shooting,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “And cooperation between our state and federal partners remains strong, as ATF and the FBI continue to work diligently to hold all of those responsible accountable. This sentence should send a strong message to those within our boundaries or beyond that we will put our strongest effort to removing violent offenders from our streets.”

“This case represents a tale as old as time - choices have consequences. Julian Jordan made a choice to come up to Michigan from Alabama to murder someone. Now, he will have many years to reflect about his life choices behind bars. The message is simple - if you commit gun crime in Michigan, you should pack your bags for prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Deir.

"The thwarted murder-for-hire plot in this case underscores the significance of collaborative efforts between law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of the citizens in our community," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Had it not been for the combined efforts of the ATF, Michigan State Police, and Flint Police Department working together as part of the Genesee County Safe Streets Task Force, the consequences could have been far more catastrophic. The FBI is committed to investigating violent crimes such as this and we remain steadfast in our goal of making Michigan's streets safer for everyone."

Reginald Hunter is currently scheduled to proceed to trial on Dec. 5. The investigation of Person-1 remains ongoing.

This investigation was conducted by troopers of the Michigan State Police and special agents of the ATF’s Flint Field Office and the FBI’s Flint Resident Agency. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jules M. DePorre and Anthony P. Vance.

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