Jackson, Mississippi – A Jackson man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to court documents, Ledrick Simmons, 38, had been charged in Madison, Mississippi, for felony fleeing law enforcement. On January 29, 2020, Madison Police Officers obtained an arrest warrant for Simmons.  Officers were able to locate Simmons, in a vehicle, at the intersection of President and Amite Street, in downtown Jackson.  When officers approached Simmons, he attempted to evade arrest and rammed another vehicle with his car.  Officers recovered a handgun from Simmons’s waistband during the arrest.  At the time of the arrest, Simmons was a convicted felon and has multiple felony convictions in Hinds County.

Simmons pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 22, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jackson Police Department, the Madison Police Department, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations and the United States Marshal Service are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Wansley is prosecuting the case.

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) and Project Guardian. EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.