Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, Illegally Possessing Firearm, Wisconsin 2024

La Crosse, WI – In a bold move against gun crime, a local man has been sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, 24, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

On October 18, 2023, officers from the La Crosse Police Department saw Jones-Shields standing on the street with a group of people. The officers arrested Jones-Shields on an active arrest warrant and subsequently searched a shoulder bag he was wearing. The search yielded a loaded .22 caliber Charter Arms revolver, numerous oxycodone pills, counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, and cocaine. Jones-Shields is prohibited from legally possessing firearms due to multiple felony convictions in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s initiative to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach focuses on coordination between state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent and drug crimes involving firearms.

The charge against Jones-Shields resulted from an investigation led by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted this case.

Jones-Shields pleaded guilty to the charge on March 19, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson handed down the 5-year prison sentence. This sentence is a clear indication of the consequences of illegally possessing a firearm.

As part of the sentence, Jones-Shields will serve 5 years in federal prison. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing gun crime and the consequences of committing such crimes.

The La Crosse community can rest easy knowing that law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors are working together to keep the streets safe.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwi/pr/la-crosse-man-sentenced-5-years-illegally-possessing-firearm