Jackson, Miss - Mark Cassity, 22, of Jackson, pled guilty today before U.S. Chief District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Dana Nichols, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
On June 8, 2018, during a traffic stop conducted by an officer of the Jackson Police Department, Cassity was arrested for providing false information. At the time of the arrest, a handgun was found in his front pocket. Cassity has a previous felony conviction for receiving stolen goods in 2015.
On Dec. 11, 2018, Cassity was charged in a federal indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He will be sentenced on June 14, 2019, at 9:00 a.m., by Judge Jordan, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.
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 through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
