Jamaican National Sentenced for Illegal Firearm

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Jamaican national illegally residing in Branson, Mo. was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.

Akeem A. Sirdine, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to two years imprisonment in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

On Aug. 26, 2025, Sirdine pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Sirdine had been issued a J1 (student) visa with authorization to remain in the United States until September 2024. Sirdine unlawfully remained in the United States after that date and, at the time of his arrest in February 2025, he was in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol with an extended magazine. Under federal law it is illegal for any person who is in the United States unlawfully to possess a firearm.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff's Office.

Operation Take Back America

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, 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.