Jacksonville Felon With Active Injunction For Protection Against Domestic Violence Sentenced To Prison For Trying To Buy A Pistol

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Thomas Oliver Morrison (64, Jacksonville) to 21 months in federal prison for making false statements to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm. Morrison entered a guilty plea on February 21, 2024. 

According to court records, Morrison attempted to purchase a 9mm pistol from a firearms store in Jacksonville on April 20, 2022. At the time, Morrison was subject to a permanent injunction for protection against domestic violence that was issued in 2017. Morrison also had multiple felony convictions, including battery and false imprisonment. Morrison had also been involuntarily committed to a mental institution in 2020, which also prohibits him from lawfully possessing or purchasing a firearm. Morrison made multiple false statements on an ATF Form 4473 related to the injunction, his felony status, and his mental health condition.

This is another case uncovered through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to buy a gun.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with special assistance from the State Attorney’s Office (Fourth Judicial Circuit). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

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.