Meridian Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms

BOISE – Jeffrey Southern, 47 of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for unlawfully possessing three firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.  Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Southern to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.  Southern pleaded guilty to the charge on August 26, 2015.

According to court documents, law enforcement reported to a residence in Meridian to investigate a dispute over a custodial exchange.  During the investigation, Southern admitted to officers that he was a felon and owned some firearms.  Law enforcement went into Southern’s residence and located three firearms.  Southern had a prior felony conviction for assault out of California and had been sentenced to ten years of prison in that case.  Because of his prior felony conviction, Southern was prohibited from possessing firearms.               

The case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.  The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. 

The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.