James Earl Sanders Jr., Felon in Possession of Firearm, Missouri 2023
A Columbia man, James Earl Sanders Jr., 31, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally possessing firearms after a high-speed chase and crash.
Sanders pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps Jr.
The charges stem from two separate incidents in 2018. On July 24, 2018, Sanders was arrested after crashing his car in a high-speed chase. On that occasion, he was riding a stolen scooter and had a loaded Taurus semi-automatic handgun in his front pocket at the time of his arrest.
A second incident occurred on Sept. 30, 2018, when Sanders was arrested after attempting to speed away from a Jefferson City police officer. He lost control of the car and struck a tree, throwing a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol out of the window as the officer approached.
Sanders has two prior felony convictions for burglary and a prior felony conviction for attempted robbery, making him prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
Under federal statutes, Sanders is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each of the two convictions. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller.
The U.S. Attorney's Office is partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement to specifically identify criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Missouri through Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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