A Standard Welfare Check at a Motel Ended in the Arrest of a Felon in Possession of a Firearm
Jackson, Miss. - Corey Douglas Burt, 28, of Meridian, pled guilty Thursday before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On April 18, 2019, the Meridian Police Department was called to a motel located on South Frontage Road in Meridian. An MPD officer responded to the scene and learned that motel staff were attempting to clean a room, but the door was locked and the person inside the room would not answer the door despite insistent knocking and verbal requests. The MPD officer was eventually able to get the occupant, Burt, to answer the door.
Burt was not the guest registered in the room and he was unable or unwilling to tell the officer how he had gained access to the room or who had rented the room. There was no one else in the room. The officer noticed a.380 caliber pistol on a bedside table as he was checking the room. Burt told the officer that he had gotten the gun from a friend. A check of the firearm revealed that it was reported stolen in 2017. Further investigation revealed that Burt had a prior conviction for burglary in Lauderdale County and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
On July 24, 2019, Burt was indicted by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is currently in custody and will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on Feb. 18, 2020. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.
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
