Meridian Man Sentenced to 42 Months for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm (DOJ)

JACKSON, MS - A Meridian man was sentenced on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, to 42 months of incarceration for being a felon in possession of a firearm in Neshoba County. The defendant was also ordered to pay a fine and serve 3 years of supervised release following his incarceration.

According to court documents, Elton Wayne Fairley, 40, was found by Philadelphia Police Department to be in possession of a firearm on February 24, 2025. The firearm was concealed in the vehicle during a traffic stop in Philadelphia, Mississippi, with a round loaded in the firearm's chamber and a large capacity magazine. Fairley had a previous felony conviction for narcotics offenses and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Fairley was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2025, and pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025. Fairley will serve his term of imprisonment consecutive to a ten-year state sentence from Lauderdale County.

U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI investigated this case with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Philadelphia Police Department; and Meridian Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the ATF as part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).