Gulfport, Miss. - Thomas Truitt Lott III, 33, of Leakesville, Mississippi, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Halil S. Ozerden to knowingly making a false statement to a firearms dealer when purchasing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 9, 2018, while purchasing a firearm at a Leakesville pawn shop, Lott knowingly made a false statement to a federal firearms licensee when he filled out an ATF Form 4473 and stated on the form that he was not under indictment. At the time of the purchase, Lott knew that he was under an Indictment in Green County, Mississippi for transfer of a controlled substance. On May 15, 2019, Lott was charged in a federal criminal indictment.
Lott will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on Thursday, April 23, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case was investigated by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
