Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jerry Shannon McAlister, 47, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
According to court records, on July 21, 2021, officers with the Clinton Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop of McAlister. McAlister failed to stop, leading to the pursuit and detention of McAlister. He was found to be in the possession of a firearm. He has multiple previous felony convictions, and it is a violation of federal law for a convicted felon to possess any firearm.
McAlister is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24, 2023, and he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Clinton Police Department and the ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.