Moss Point Felon Jenkins Pleads Guilty to Gun Possession

A Moss Point man with a violent criminal past is headed back to court for sentencing after pleading guilty to illegally possessing two handguns while on the move with a switched license plate. Bayliss Morris Jenkins, 43, admitted in federal court to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm — a crime that could land him behind bars for life if judges classify him as an armed career criminal.

The arrest unfolded on February 8, 2021, when Moss Point Police pulled Jenkins over for operating a vehicle with a tampered tag. What started as a routine traffic stop turned into a federal firearms case when officers discovered two loaded handguns stashed inside the car. Jenkins, already barred from owning weapons due to prior felony convictions, was taken into custody immediately.

Jenkins’ criminal history is long and volatile. He has prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance, aggravated assault, and — most damning in this case — a previous charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. That prior gun conviction now puts him in the crosshairs of the Armed Career Criminal Act, which mandates a minimum 15-year sentence if the court applies the enhancement.

Indicted on June 15, 2021, Jenkins waived trial and entered a guilty plea to the single count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. While the base charge carries a maximum of ten years in prison, prosecutors and federal judges will now weigh his full record. If ruled an armed career criminal, Jenkins faces no less than 15 years — and up to life.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Moss Point Police Department, highlighting the growing cooperation between local and federal law enforcement in cracking down on repeat gun offenders. Evidence gathered during the traffic stop and subsequent search formed the backbone of the prosecution’s case.

Jenkins is scheduled for sentencing on February 15, 2022, in U.S. District Court. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is handling the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn confirmed the plea, reaffirming their office’s commitment to removing illegal firearms from Mississippi’s most dangerous offenders.