GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids man has been sentenced to spend almost six years behind bars for the illegal possession of firearms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office – Western District of Michigan says 22-year-old Ernest James Jones Jr. will be imprisoned for 70 months, followed by three years of supervised release.
We’re told Jones was released from prison in January 2022 following a conviction for a state weapons offense, after which he sold stolen weapons to an informant with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) four separate times while under the impression the client also sold illegal firearms.
Federal attorneys say Jones sold two weapons that were later used in Grand Rapids shootings during the year 2020.
“Reducing gun crime and preserving the safety of our communities are priorities for my office,” says U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “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.”
U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney warns illegal possession and trafficking of firearms will be met with “significant penalty” if found guilty.
“This case illustrates how ATF utilizes crime gun intelligence to effectively identify and remove violent criminals from our communities,” says Assistant Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai. “The efforts of our federal, state, tribal, and local partnerships have had a significant impact on reducing the threat of gun violence.”
