Jackson, Miss. - Cleveland Ellis, 30, and Joshua Hamilton, 29, both of Jackson, were sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III for illegally possessing firearms as felons, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF").
Ellis was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, while Hamilton received a 64 month prison sentence. Each must pay a $1,500 fine and serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison.
In November 2017, Ellis and Hamilton were sitting in a parked car after midnight in a dark alley of an apartment complex in Jackson. The men were smoking marijuana, drinking, and waiting for an unnamed “friend" to come home. When an officer asked if they needed assistance, she learned that Ellis had a 9mm semi-automatic pistol under his seat and Hamilton was sitting on a.40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was stolen. Both men were convicted felons. Ellis has a prior conviction for manslaughter, and Hamilton has a prior conviction for aggravated assault.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN"). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Hurst commended the work of the Jackson Police Department and their cooperation with ATF agents and Project EJECT task force members in the investigation of this case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
