Jackson Man Sentenced Under Project EJECT to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

Jackson, Miss. – Courtney Kentrell Chapman, 30, of Jackson, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to 90 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana K. Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Chapman had previously been convicted of multiple felonies in Hinds County, including being an accessory after the fact to carjacking, felony eluding, and possession of a controlled substance while armed. On August 15, 2018, he was in possession of a firearm during an administrative checkpoint in Jackson.

Chapman was charged in a federal criminal indictment on December 12, 2018. He pled guilty on February 12, 2019, before Judge Wingate.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.