Missoula man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of firearm

MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted illegally possessing a gun after having been convicted of a felony was sentenced today to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Leif Johnson said.

Roosevelt Kenneth Thompson, 35, pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2020 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.

The prosecution said in court documents that a Missoula Police Department officer stopped a vehicle in which Thompson was riding on Feb. 4, 2020. The officer learned from dispatch that Thompson was on parole. The driver informed the officer that Thompson had a gun on his person. Thompson had prior felony convictions. The officer had Thompson exit the vehicle, and Thompson informed the officer of the gun. Officers located a .45-caliber gun in a holster on Thompson’s chest.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Clark prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missoula Police Department.

This case is part of Project Guardian, a Department of Justice initiative launched in the fall of 2019 to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Through Project Guardian, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana is working to enhance coordination of its federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. In addition, Project Guardian supports information sharing and taking action when individuals are denied a firearm purchase by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for mental health reasons or because they are a prohibited person.

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