Damon Derrall Pittman Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession

A convicted felon walked into a federal courtroom in Gulfport, Mississippi, and admitted to playing with fire—literally. Damon Derrall Pittman, 36, of Poplarville, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.

The plea, entered before Chief District Judge Louis Guirola, caps a federal sting that exposed Pittman’s willingness to deal in deadly hardware. According to court records, the case turned on the sale of a sawed-off rifle—a weapon designed for concealment and destruction—to an informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The transaction didn’t just break federal law—it lit up red flags across multiple enforcement channels. Possessing a short-barreled rifle is illegal under the National Firearms Act, and when that possession falls into the hands of someone with a prior felony conviction, the penalties escalate fast. Pittman’s criminal past disqualified him from legally owning any firearm, never mind one modified for violence.

U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis, who announced the plea, emphasized that such illegal gun transfers feed the underground arsenal plaguing communities across the South. “This wasn’t a hunting rifle tucked in a closet. This was a weapon built to kill, sold to a man already barred from owning one,” Davis said in a statement.

The investigation was led by ATF agents who have been tightening the screws on illegal firearms trafficking in the Gulf Coast region. Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams is handling the prosecution, building a case that hinges on recorded exchanges and physical evidence tied directly to Pittman.

Sentencing is set for March 1, 2017. With no plea deal details yet disclosed, Pittman now faces a federal judge who could hand down the full 10-year sentence. In the world of gun crimes, the math is simple: felons plus firearms equals hard time.