Pennsylvania Man Jailed for Illegal Firearm Possession in MS

John Howard Murray, 45, of Erie, Pennsylvania, is headed to federal prison for over four years after being caught with a firearm he wasn’t allowed to have—snatched during a home invasion in Clinton, Mississippi. The conviction, handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III, lands Murray 57 months behind bars, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence is the latest enforcement win under Project EJECT, a federal crackdown on violent offenders.

The crime unfolded on September 25, 2017, when local police arrested Murray mid-burglary at a residence in Clinton. A search of his vehicle turned up stolen property—including a loaded firearm taken straight from the victim’s home. Evidence confirmed Murray, a convicted felon, had no legal right to possess a gun. His criminal past includes convictions for receiving stolen property and burglary in Pennsylvania, as well as a separate burglary charge in Madison County, Mississippi.

On December 3, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Murray on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Facing overwhelming evidence, he pleaded guilty on February 15, 2019, before Judge Jordan. No deals, no excuses—just a federal rap that sealed his fate. Federal law bars anyone with a felony conviction from owning or handling firearms, a rule Murray ignored at his own peril.

U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, who oversaw the prosecution, credited the swift justice to collaboration between the Clinton Police Department, the FBI, and ATF agents. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Chalk and Chet Kirkham, who pushed for accountability under the federal sentencing guidelines. “This is what Project EJECT was built for,” Hurst said. “Catch violent offenders, lock them up, and make communities safer.”

Project EJECT—short for ‘Empower Justice Expel Crime Together’—is the Southern District of Mississippi’s aggressive response to rising violent crime. Tied to the DOJ’s national Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the initiative blends prosecution with prevention, re-entry programs, and public awareness. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reignited PSN in 2017, demanding U.S. Attorneys nationwide prioritize violent felons who illegally arm themselves.

Murray’s case underscores the federal government’s zero-tolerance stance on gun crimes by repeat offenders. With more than four years to reflect in prison, he joins a growing list of felons caught in the EJECT net. For residents of Clinton and beyond, the message is clear: break into homes, steal guns, and the feds will come—hard and fast.

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