Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to 87 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on July 15, 2022, agents from the East Mississippi Drug Task Force, utilized a confidential source to purchase approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine from Reginald Franklin, 53. After the controlled purchase, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Franklin’s residence and located four firearms, one of which was reported stolen, approximately 68 grams of methamphetamine, 308 dosage units of ecstasy, 4 grams of crack cocaine, and 35 grams of marijuana. Through the investigation, law enforcement determined that Franklin was a convicted felon having previously been convicted for aggravated assault. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Franklin to possess any firearm.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.

The East Mississippi Drug Task Force 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.