Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Canton Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon
Jackson, Miss. – A Canton man was sentenced to 63 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
According to court documents, on November 4, 2021, Ridgeland Police Officers were dispatched to the area of Highland Colony Parkway near Old Agency Road, after receiving numerous 911 phone calls reporting two vehicles exchanging gunfire. Officers were able to locate one of the vehicles involved on the side of I-55 South with numerous bullet holes in the back, which was driven by Tyrone Diario Lewis, 32. Near the vehicle, in the woods, officers located four firearms, which Lewis and his occupants attempted to hide. Through the investigation, law enforcement officers were able to determine that Lewis possessed the four firearms, including an AR-style pistol, which was used during the shooting. Lewis has a prior felony conviction for armed robbery. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Lewis to possess any firearm.
Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 19, 2022. He pled guilty on January 26, 2023 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
The Ridgeland Police Department and the ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted 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.