Aaron Jackson, Possessing Firearm as Convicted Felon, Illinois 2023

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Aaron Jackson, 30, of Springfield, Illinois, is facing a decade behind bars after a federal jury found him guilty on February 22, 2023, of knowingly possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The conviction stems from a traffic stop last August that unearthed more than just a broken taillight.

According to courtroom testimony before U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow, Springfield Police Department officers pulled Jackson over on August 18, 2021. A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Ruger LCP 380 tucked away in the front seat. Jackson, the sole occupant, already had a rap sheet – two prior felony convictions that legally barred him from owning a firearm.

But the gun wasn’t the only contraband found in Jackson’s vehicle. Officers also discovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine, painting a picture of a man deeply involved in the city’s underworld. While the drug charges weren’t detailed in the release, the presence of narcotics undoubtedly added weight to the prosecution’s case.

Federal prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sierra Senor-Moore and Tanner Jacobs, successfully argued that Jackson’s prior convictions stripped him of the right to possess a firearm. The jury clearly agreed. Jackson remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service awaiting sentencing on June 21, 2023, at the Springfield courthouse.

If handed the maximum sentence, Jackson could face up to ten years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The case was a joint effort between the Springfield Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), highlighting the agencies’ collaborative approach to tackling gun violence.

The prosecution of Jackson is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. The program focuses on building trust within communities, supporting local anti-violence organizations, and strategically targeting enforcement efforts. Whether this conviction will truly make Springfield’s neighborhoods safer remains to be seen, but the feds are touting it as a win in the ongoing war against gun violence.

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