Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man was sentenced to 54 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and 51 months for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The two sentences will be served concurrently.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, Deonta Miller, 36, was arrested by the Richland Police Department due to an outstanding arrest warrant. Miller led officers on a short chase which concluded with Miller crashing his vehicle into a hotel located just off Highway 80 West in Hinds County. Miller left a firearm in the car and fled on foot but was taken into custody shortly thereafter. Miller has prior convictions for carjacking and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Miller pled guilty on Feb. 16, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Additionally, on March 11, 2022, Miller conspired with two other individuals to obtain automobile loans through fraudulent means. Miller used a false name, social security number, driver’s license, and utility bill, to obtain a loan for a car. Miller pled guilty on March 21, 2023 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca, Special Agent in Charge David Denton of Homeland Security Investigations, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Richland Police Department and the ATF investigated the firearm case. The Madison Police Department and HSI investigated the bank fraud case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart prosecuted the firearm case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the fraud case.
The firearm 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.