Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Florissant, Mo., man appeared in court today on an indictment alleging that he possessed firearms after a prior felony conviction.
Jerald Cortez Harris, Jr., 27, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms in an indictment returned on May 13, 2025, by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. The indictment, which was unsealed upon Harris’s arrest and appearance in court, alleges that between March 14, 2025, and March 27, 2025, Harris possessed two firearms: a Glock, model 30, .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, and a Beretta, model APX A1 Compact, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Harris has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.