Gulfport, Miss. – A Florida man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Martin Gerardo Perusquia, 55, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Taylor B. McNeel on October 28, 2021, in Gulfport.  Perusquia pleaded guilty to the felony offense on July 27, 2021.

According to court documents, on May 14, 2021, an agent of the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team (SMMET), who also is a Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy, was on duty along Interstate 10 westbound in Jackson County.  The agent conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Perusquia was the driver and sole occupant.  Perusquia had in his possession a Smith and Wesson .357 Magnum revolver with ammunition. Record checks revealed that he was a felon who had previous convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and bank robbery.

Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The SMMET, a multi-jurisdictional Federal, State and Local, Law Enforcement Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.  The centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s crime reduction efforts, PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together and develop comprehensive solutions. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.