Harold Keith Temple, Unlicensed Dealing of Guns, Mississippi 2025

Madison resident Harold Keith Temple was sentenced to three years in prison for unlicensed dealing of guns.

A federal grand jury indicted Temple in April 2025. He subsequently pled guilty in November 2025.

According to court documents, Temple received a warning from federal agents that dealing in firearms without a license is a federal offense. However, he continued to sell more than 700 guns at auctions and other locations, despite this warning.

At sentencing, the court noted that several of the guns sold by Temple were later used in crimes or found in the possession of convicted felons and arrested persons. Some of the guns were even found in neighboring states and as far away as El Salvador.

U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson made the announcement.

“This defendant’s actions showed a complete disregard for public safety—illegally selling guns without a license to convicted felons that resulted in violent crime here in the states and as far away as El Salvador,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Temple’s actions demonstrate the devastating consequences of unlicensed gun dealing and the importance of cracking down on these types of crimes.

Temple’s exact criminal charges are unlicensed dealing of guns.

He was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes.

This case is part of a larger effort to combat gun violence and keep communities safe.

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