Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Convicted Felon Who Possessed Firearm Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison
LITTLE ROCK— Raymond Trice, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 180 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
Trice, 43, of Jonesboro, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm on August 6, 2019. At that hearing, Trice admitted that on December 18, 2017, a Jonesboro police officer saw Trice peering into the windows of parked cars in the early morning hours. Trice fled when police tried to question him. Later, police found a loaded .38 caliber revolver along the route where Trice fled.
Trice admitted that he had previous convictions for multiple offenses, including battery, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, and possession of cocaine. Judge Marshall also sentenced Trice to four years of supervised release to follow his 15-year prison sentence.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, 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 United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support of the Jonesboro Police Department. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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