Natchez, Miss. – A McComb man was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

According to court documents, Martin Scarberry, 42, was picked up by law enforcement on April 20, 2021, in the woods in Lincoln County, following a multi-day search after he absconded from a state criminal sentencing hearing.  When Scarberry was placed under arrest, a firearm was found tucked into his waistband.  The firearm was determined to be stolen.

Scarberry was originally indicted for this offense on May 25, 2021.  He pled guilty on August 25, 2021.

The FBI, Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Mississippi Department of Corrections investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

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