A Hattiesburg man, Scotty James Conley, has been sentenced to 35 months in prison on charges of firearm possession by a convicted felon. The sentencing follows an investigation by the Forrest County Sheriff's Office, which found Conley in possession of a firearm while responding to a residential disturbance. Conley, 40, has a previous felony conviction from 2008 for the sexual battery of a minor under 14. Federal law prohibits felons from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Conley was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 10, 2023, and pled guilty on January 27, 2025. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff.
The investigation involved the FBI and the Forrest County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen led the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. The operation focuses efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
