Gulfport Man Pleads Guilty under Project EJECT to Firearms Offense

Gulfport, Mississippi – Charles Jerrell Brown, 41, of Gulfport, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and Brad L. Byerley, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”).

On November 4, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted an operation in Gulfport, Mississippi. During the operation, Charles Jerrell Brown was taken into custody.  As he was taken into custody, law enforcement officers found a handgun on the chair were Brown had been sitting. 

Law enforcement officers were able to determine that Brown had a prior felony conviction for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. Brown admitted to possessing the firearm and being a prior convicted felon.

Brown was indicted on November 17, 2020. He will be sentenced on June 29, 2021, at 1:30 p.m. and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, unless the Court determines that he is an Armed Career Criminal, in which case he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

This case was investigated by the DEA and the Gulfport Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Buckner.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.