Gulfport, Miss - James Edward Hays, 36, a Simon City Royals gang member from Pascagoula, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Hays was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.
On April 25, 2018, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call of a person passed out behind the wheel of a running car at a gas station. Deputies found Hays, a felon with multiple convictions, with methamphetamine, heroin and a loaded gun. Less than one month later, Hays was found in a motel room with a stolen gun and methamphetamine.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s 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
