Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offense

Gulfport, Miss. – A Gulfport man pled guilty today to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).

According to court records, on July 27, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Michael Anthony Hamilton, 27, engage in a drug transaction with another individual. Subsequent investigation revealed that Hamilton was in possession of a Taurus, 9mm handgun and oxycodone pills.  Hamilton  admitted to the habitual use of prescription medication and marijuana. 

Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2022. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment.  A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the DEA and Gulfport Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.