Gulfport, Miss - Cornelius Javon Massey, 20, of Pascagoula, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 33 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of controlled substances, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Massey was in a car with three others pulled over by the Pascagoula Police Department on March 31, 2018. Once stopped and the windows down, the officer noticed a.223 caliber rifle with a large magazine laying in the rear floorboard. The officer noticed a handgun in the glove compartment when the driver reached for proof of insurance. A narcotics dog alerted for the presence of narcotics in the car. A search yielded marijuana and a grinder, the rifle, a Glock pistol with 4 magazines, a Springfield Arms 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine, and 2 ski masks. Massey admitted in an interview that he smoked marijuana regularly. Under Federal law, unlawful users of controlled substances are prohibited from possessing firearms.
The Pascagoula Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
