A Meridian resident, Steven Wright, has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office stopped Wright during a traffic stop and discovered he had a firearm. At the time, Wright was on state supervised release for a previous armed robbery conviction. Federal and state laws prohibit felons from possessing firearms.
Wright was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 4, 2025, and pleaded guilty to the charge on May 9, 2025. As a result of this offense, his state supervised release was revoked and he received an additional state sentence of 11 years and 175 days.
Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives announced the sentencing.
The ATF led the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative that coordinates resources from the Department of Justice to address illegal immigration, combat cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime through programs such as OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhood.
