A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a Mississippi man with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment charges that, on or about June 28, Marquez Dante Scott, 21, of Jackson, knowingly possessed a firearm after he was previously convicted of a crime punishable for a term exceeding one year.

If convicted, Scott faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case, with assistance from the Capitol Police Department.

Trial Attorney Lakeita F. Rox-Love of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen for the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case.

This case is brought as part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Jackson and the surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to address violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.  

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.