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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
Western District of Missouri

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Teresa A. Moore
, United States Attorney

Jury Convicts Columbia Man of Illegal Firearm

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Missouri, man has been convicted by a federal trial jury of illegally possessing a firearm.

Jeremiah Ezekiel Brown, 36, was found guilty on Monday, Sept. 20, of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Brown was arrested by a Columbia police detective during a traffic stop on Nov. 24, 2020. The detective searched him and found a loaded Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun in Brown’s waistband. Detectives searched the vehicle Brown was driving and found a backpack in the front seat that contained a total of 37 grams of marijuana, 10 packages that contained marijuana edibles, 14 doses of LSD, a baggie of .5 grams of cocaine and two Alprazolam bars. They also found an empty Glock extended magazine with a 31-round capacity and a pair of brass knuckles.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Brown has prior felony convictions for possession of stolen things, possession of a controlled substance, robbery, receiving stolen property and attempted delivery of a controlled substance into a prison.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for about 30 minutes before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Nanette K. Laughrey, ending a one-day trial.

Under federal statutes, Brown is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron M. Maness and Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia, Mo., Police Department.

Kansas City Field Division