Jefferson City Man Indicted for Unlawful Firearm Possession

  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo. man has been indicted today by a federal grand jury for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition.  

Latrell Dashon Batts, 27, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City.  The indictment alleges that Batts was in possession of a Smith & Wesson pistol and ammunition on March 10, 2025.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.  Batts has prior felony convictions for assault in the second degree and accessory forcible stealing.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Under federal statutes, if convicted, Batts is subject to a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecily L. Hicks. It was investigated Jefferson City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Project Safe Neighborhoods

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.