Jasper County Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Unregistered Machine Gun

Hattiesburg, Miss. – James Christopher Varner, 39, of Stringer, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 84 months in prison for illegally possessing a machine gun that was not registered, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

On January 22, 2018, deputies with the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic violence call at a home in Stringer, Mississippi.  Once there, they found a female who had been injured, along with several firearms.  When Deputies tracked down Varner, they found additional firearms, along with controlled substances, a KKK robe, hood and literature.  With the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a total of 46 firearms were seized, including 4 machine guns, 2 sawed-off rifles, multiple silencers, multi-round magazines, machine gun conversion kits, and other weapons. 

Hurst commended the incredible work of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who investigated the case.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.