Hinds County Man Pleads Guilty Under Project EJECT to Illegal Possession of Firearm

Jackson, Miss. – Herbert Thomas, 41, of Jackson, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan to 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.

On January 23, 2018, Thomas fled from Jackson Police Department officers, first in his vehicle and then on foot, before ultimately being subdued by law enforcement.  Upon a subsequent inventory of his vehicle, a firearm was located.  When interviewed, Thomas admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm and being a convicted felon.  He was previously convicted of felonious motor vehicle theft and felony fleeing from a law enforcement officer in Hinds County in 2009

Thomas will be sentenced by Chief Judge Jordan on January 6, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Murray and Andrew W. Eichner.

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). 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. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.