Source: United States Attorneys General
Headline: Shreveport man pleads guilty to illegal possession of pistol after being arrested for felonies
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport felon pleaded guilty last week to illegally possessing a pistol after being convicted of multiple felonies.
Gabriel Jones, 36, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea will become final after it is accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Shreveport police were executing a warrant for someone else on August 7, 2018 at Jones’ residence. During a search of the residence, police found marijuana in plain view, and they found a Ruger, Model P85, 9 mm caliber pistol, crack cocaine and additional marijuana in the back bedroom closet. The pistol had a 30 round extended magazine inside it. The other occupants of the residence denied ownership of the gun and said it belonged to Jones. Police also searched Jones’ cell phone and found images and data showing the pistol belonged to him. Jones was convicted on May 24, 2010 of aggravated flight from an officer and attempted possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also convicted on December 6, 2004 in Caddo Parish of possession of marijuana, second offense,
Morris faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 10, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Session announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.