Harold Keith Temple of Madison was sentenced last week to three years in prison for unlicensed dealing of firearms, according to an April 7 announcement by U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi and ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson.
The case is significant because Temple continued selling guns after being warned by federal agents that such activity without a license is illegal. The court noted that more than 700 guns were sold at auctions and other locations, with several later used in crimes or found with convicted felons and arrested individuals. Some weapons were traced beyond Mississippi, including neighboring states and as far away as El Salvador.
Temple was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025 and pleaded guilty in November of the same year.
“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. “ATF will continue to work alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure these offenders are removed from our communities and held fully accountable in federal court with a significant sentence to be served in prison.”
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which uses resources from Department of Justice initiatives such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to combat illegal immigration, criminal organizations, and violent crime.
