Jackson Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years Under Project EJECT for Illegally Possessing a Firearm as a Prior Convicted Felon

Jackson, Miss. – Deonte Terrell Proctor, 33, of Jackson, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr., to 195-months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On December 2, 2016, members of the Jackson Police Department served a search warrant on 213 Archer Avenue in Jackson. During the execution of the search warrant, Deonte Terrell Proctor attempted to flee in his car, nearly running over a JPD detective. Proctor then crashed into a ditch and attempted to flee on foot. Proctor threw a firearm into some bushes, but it was later recovered. Proctor subsequently admitted to police that the firearm was his.

Proctor is a convicted felon, having been previously convicted in the Circuit Court of Hinds County for the following felony offenses: receiving stolen goods, felon with firearm, and multiple felony offenses for possession of cocaine and the sale of cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Keesha D. Middleton.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.