Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2020, Eric Wayne Washington, 50, was found to be in possession of a firearm during the execution of a search warrant at his residence. Washington was found in the residence and taken into custody. After Washington identified which bedroom belonged to him, the officers continued their search. A 9mm pistol was found in the bedroom along with methamphetamine. Washington has multiple prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Washington to possess any firearms or ammunition.
The Meridian Police Department and the FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.
This case is being 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.