Javeon Malik Davis, Possession of Firearm While Under Indictment, M…

A Meridian man already under felony indictment for possessing a stolen firearm was caught red-handed with another gun just months later — and now faces federal time. Javeon Malik Davis, 20, pleaded guilty on January 10, 2017 in Jackson, Mississippi to possession of a firearm while under indictment, a charge that exposes him to up to five years behind bars and a $250,000 fine.

The conviction stems from a May 19, 2016 incident when Meridian Police responded to a shots-fired call and confronted Davis near the scene. Officers watched as he tossed a firearm into the back seat of a nearby vehicle — a desperate move caught in real time. The weapon was recovered, and Davis admitted on the spot that he had possession of the gun.

At the time, Davis was already under felony indictment in Lauderdale County for possessing a stolen firearm — a fact that elevated his actions to a federal offense. Federal law bars anyone under felony indictment from possessing a firearm, and Davis’ actions put him squarely in the crosshairs of both local and federal law enforcement.

The case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Meridian Police Department, reflecting the coordinated push to remove guns from the hands of violent offenders. Prosecutors moved swiftly, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. leading the charge in U.S. District Court.

Davis appeared before Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III, where he entered his guilty plea without contest. No plea deal was disclosed, leaving the door open for a maximum penalty at sentencing. He is scheduled to return to court on April 4, 2017, to learn his fate.

U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis, who announced the guilty plea, reiterated the federal government’s stance: “Individuals under indictment for serious crimes don’t get to carry guns. When they do, they will be prosecuted.” For Javeon Malik Davis, that policy is now a one-way ticket to sentencing.”