Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Jackson, MS - A Jackson man pleaded guilty on Wednesday, March 25th in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement officers stopped Eugene Cooper, Jr., 50, on March 13, 2024, while he was in possession of a handgun in his vehicle in the metro Jackson area. At the time of the stop, Cooper, Jr. had previously been convicted of burglary and fondling of a child.

Eugene Cooper, Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.

Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is prosecuting the case.

This case is 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).