Solano County Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Second Conviction of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Jeremiah Malik Jefferson, 27, of Benicia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to seven years in prison for his second federal felon-in-possession of a firearm case, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, On Oct. 1, 2023, while on supervised release following a 2021 conviction in a prior federal gun case, Jefferson brandished a firearm during an argument with a female victim. Jefferson had been released from prison only 10 months prior. During a search of Jefferson’s residence on Nov. 1, 2023, law enforcement officers recovered a firearm that was loaded with a high-capacity magazine and had previously been reported stolen. Jefferson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including for burglary and a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Jefferson was also sentenced to two years in prison (the applicable statutory maximum) for violating his terms of supervised release to be served concurrently with the 7-year sentence.

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, the Benicia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.