Gulfport, Miss. - James Edward Hays, 34, of Vancleave, entered a guilty plea yesterday, before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to possession of a firearm by a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Hays, a Simon City Royal gang member, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison on the charge. He further faces a fine of $250,000 along with 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for Jan. 18, 2019, at 9:00 a.m.
On April 25, 2018, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a person passed out behind the wheel of a running car at a gas station. Deputies found Hays, a three-time convicted felon, with methamphetamine, heroin and a loaded gun.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case is prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
