27-Year-Old Louisiana Felon Sentenced For Illegal Possession of Firearm and Drug-Related Charges

Monroe, Louisiana - A 27-year-old Louisiana felon has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and drug-related charges.

On April 6, 2023, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Howard Demartae Jackson, 27, of Ruston, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 170 months (14 years, 2 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

According to evidence produced in court, on or about May 25, 2022, while on patrol, a Ruston Police Department officer noticed a man with a brown shoulder bag standing at the driver's side of a vehicle near a gas station. The officer became suspicious of the activities and ran the license plate on the vehicle, discovering that the registered owner's driver's license was suspended.

During a traffic stop, the police confirmed that the driver was the registered owner, and she revealed that her license was suspended. Howard Jackson was identified as a passenger in the vehicle with the female. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle and searched it. Police discovered Jackson with a loaded Smith & Wesson 40 caliber pistol, methamphetamine, marijuana, oxycodone, alprazolam, MDMA, plastic baggies, and a digital scale in a shoulder bag.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) inspected and tested the firearm, discovering that it was produced in Massachusetts and thus traveled in interstate commerce. Jackson was a convicted felon with past felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute both Schedule II and III controlled substances in 2020, and he was aware that he was not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. On November 28, 2022, Jackson pleaded guilty to the charges.

The DEA, ATF, and Ruston Police Department investigated the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy.