U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee | U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee | U.S. Department of Justice
A Jackson man has pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and now faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
Bernard Caston, 54, entered his plea in U.S. District Court in Jackson. According to court documents, Caston and Fredrick Harper, 44, both residents of Jackson, stole four firearms from another individual on February 24, 2018. The two were apprehended by a Jackson police officer while en route to sell the stolen guns.
Caston's sentencing is scheduled for October 1, 2024. He will be sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act due to his prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, including a federal armed bank robbery conviction and multiple house burglary convictions in Hinds County. Under this act, Caston faces a minimum of 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Harper previously pled guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Jones and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.
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