GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Ernest James Jones, Jr., 22, is headed to federal prison for nearly six years after being convicted of illegally possessing and selling firearms, the Department of Justice announced Friday. Jones was sentenced to 70 months by U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney, who also tacked on a three-year supervised release following his incarceration.
The case unfolded with alarming speed. Just days after being released from jail in January 2022 following a state weapons conviction, Jones immediately attempted to resume his criminal enterprise. He offered to sell firearms to a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Over the next several months, Jones completed four separate transactions, peddling stolen guns to the informant, seemingly believing he was dealing with another player in the illicit gun trade.
What Jones didn’t know was the guns he was pushing had a history. Two of the firearms he sold were traced back to shootings that occurred in Grand Rapids in 2020. This revelation clearly weighed heavily on Judge Maloney, who described Jones’s actions as “grave indeed” and “emblematic of what is going on in communities across the State of Michigan and the country.” The judge didn’t mince words, stating Jones was a “threat to the public” and warning that those involved in illegal gun trafficking will face “significant penalties.”
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten emphasized the commitment of his office to tackling gun violence. “Reducing gun crime and preserving the safety of our communities are priorities for my office,” Totten stated. “We are committed to working with the ATF and our law enforcement partners to disrupt illegal, black market weapon sales to minimize illegal guns on the streets of West Michigan.” ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai echoed the sentiment, highlighting the agency’s use of “crime gun intelligence” to identify and remove violent criminals.
The prosecution, handled by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Townshend, successfully argued that Jones’s rapid return to criminal activity demonstrated a clear disregard for the law and a danger to the community. The case was brought under the umbrella of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program aiming to unite law enforcement at all levels to reduce violent crime. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017, focusing on partnerships and locally-based strategies.
The sentencing of Ernest James Jones, Jr. serves as a stark reminder that the illegal gun trade fuels violence on our streets. While Jones will spend the next several years behind bars, the ATF and federal prosecutors are signaling a continued crackdown on those who profit from putting weapons into the hands of criminals. The investigation was conducted by the ATF’s Detroit Field Division.
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