A Hattiesburg man will spend over two years behind bars for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Court documents reveal that 25-year-oldJamarquis Vasean Tate was found to be in possession of a firearm by the Hattiesburg Police Department after officers responded to a reported disturbance at a local area hotel on December 3, 2021.
Officers encountered Tate, who fled on foot but was detained shortly thereafter. The officer observed Tate throw a firearm away from his body during the chase, and this was confirmed by bodycam video that recorded the incident. The firearm was recovered by authorities.
Tate was indicted by a federal grand jury and subsequently pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program.
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.
