Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Dealing Drugs, Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Carrying a Firearm in Relation to Drug Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jamel Duppre Stinson, 43, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to two counts of possession of various drugs with intent to distribute, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 21, 2020, law enforcement agents went to Stinson’s residence to execute a search warrant for his residence, vehicle, and person. Stinson arrived in a Mercedes driven by his girlfriend. Once the vehicle parked on the driveway, officers announced their presence and that they had a search warrant. Stinson, still seated in the front passenger seat, shoved an item in a black plastic bag into a shoe on the front passenger floorboard. Officers removed Stinson from the vehicle and detained him. During the subsequent search, officers located a loaded Glock 21 .45 caliber firearm in his left shoe. In his right shoe, they discovered various distribution amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Stinson later admitted that he sold drugs in Oakland, that he personally manufactured powder cocaine into crack cocaine, and that he carried the firearm for protection because people knew he had money from dealing drugs. Stinson is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has been previously convicted of eight felonies, including six prior drug trafficking offenses and a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oakland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Stinson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Dec. 18, 2023. Stinson faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $5 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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.