Starkville man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of a firearm

Greenville, MS - A Starkville man was sentenced today to more than three years in prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Nicholas Monroe, 31, pled guilty in April to a charge of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Monroe was arrested in September of 2022 after law enforcement officers responded to reports of someone firing a gun in downtown Starkville during a confrontation and encountered Monroe, who was in possession of a Glock 9mm handgun. Today, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Monroe to 41 months in prison for his illegal possession of that firearm. Upon release from prison, Monroe will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Monroe was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.

Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner and federal law enforcement officials noted that this investigation and the sentence imposed was significant in ongoing efforts to fight violent crime. "When felons illegally possess and use guns to commit crimes or disrupt the community, we will respond," remarked Joyner. "This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who choose to illegally possess and use firearms in our District."

"Mr. Monroe's sentencing should serve as a warning to those bad actors who unlawfully possess firearms," stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners, through impactful programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods, will continue to identify, investigate, and deliver justice to anyone violating federal laws designed to protect our communities."

"In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms," said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. "The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF."

This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI, and the Starkville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Mims.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.