Source: Office of United States Attorneys
NASHVILLE – Thomas J. Jaworski, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, today announced a new initiative aimed at prosecuting unlawful firearm possession by individuals previously charged with murder and attempted murder. “Operation Bond Watch” seeks to deter defendants who are out on bond for serious violent crimes from illegally possessing firearms and potentially putting the community at risk. The program seeks to deter those released on bond for First Degree Murder, Felony Murder, Second Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, and Attempted Second Degree murder from unlawfully possessing firearms.
Under this new program, if an individual on bond for a serious violent crime is found to have unlawfully possessed a firearm, federal prosecutors will, where the evidence supports it, swiftly seek appropriate federal charges against those individuals. “The goal is to keep the community safe from gun violence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski, “and to prevent those on bond while charged with murder and attempted murder from illegally carrying guns while awaiting their day in court.”
“Breaking cycles of violent gun crime by repeat offenders is essential to the safety of the Nashville community,” said Metro Police Chief John Drake. “Operation Bond Watch is an important tool in a system of checks and balances between a defendant’s arrest and ultimate adjudication of the case. I am grateful to Acting U.S. Attorney Jaworski and our strong partners in the ATF and FBI for their commitment in helping us hold violent criminals accountable.”
“Protecting the public is at the core of our ATF mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the ATF Nashville Field Division. “We, along with our law enforcement partners, stand ready to work tirelessly to prevent those who choose to illegally possess firearms from wreaking havoc on law abiding citizens.”
“The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners on Operation Bond Watch,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Here in Tennessee, the FBI will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to deter defendants who are out on bond for serious violent crimes from illegally possessing firearms. Everyone deserves to live in a community free of gun violence.”
In April 2024, a Nashville man out on bond for a 2021 murder was arrested on suspicion of committing another murder; both cases are still pending. “We believe in the presumption of innocence and a right to a fair trial,” Jaworski said, “but we also believe that the community should be protected from individuals unlawfully possessing firearms when there is the potential to cause destructive violence.”
Prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville have previously charged individuals on bond for murder with unlawful weapons possession offenses. For example, Mark Ellis, 30, of Clarksville was on bond for First Degree Murder when he was arrested with a 9mm pistol and a pound of fentanyl during a drug deal. In March of 2024, Ellis was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for his crimes.
This new effort will bring more federal resources to bear against individuals who unlawfully possess firearms while on bond for serious violent crimes. “Our commitment to the safety of our community has been steadfast,” Jaworski said, “this new initiative will hopefully deter those awaiting a trial on serious charges from illegally carrying a gun, which is better for everyone.”
This initiative 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.
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