Lincoln County Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Gun

Jackson, Miss. – William Shelton, 49, of Lincoln County, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge David Bramlette III to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF"). Shelton was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

On September 27, 2017, William Shelton, a convicted felon, sought to sell a new Ruger pistol for $225. The next day, agents with the Southwest Mississippi Narcotics Enforcement Unit set up a controlled buy using a confidential informant. The informant traveled to Shelton’s home in Lincoln County, Mississippi, and asked to buy the gun. Shelton went into his home, retrieved the pistol, and sold it for $225. Before completing the sale, Shelton asked to shoot the gun "one more time." He then fired the gun five times in rapid succession, emptying it of all of its ammunition.

Shelton has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple felony convictions from California. The case was investigated by ATF and the Southwest Mississippi Narcotics Enforcement Unit.