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Press Release
Press Release
Hattiesburg, Miss. – James Douglas Maxwell, 26, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to four months in prison, consecutive to the 11 months he has already served, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Maxwell was also ordered to pay a $3000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following his confinement.
Maxwell was previously convicted in Forrest County in 2013 of being an accessory after the fact to armed robbery and was sentenced to serve 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections with all 20 of those years suspended. On February 14, 2019, Maxwell was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in Hattiesburg. He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on October 2, 2019.
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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Forrest County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.