Jackson, Miss. - A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

Bernard Caston, 54, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Jackson.

According to court documents, Caston and Fredrick Harper, 44, both of Jackson, stole four firearms from another individual on February 24, 2018. Caston and Harper were stopped by a Jackson police officer when they were driving to another location in Jackson to sell the stolen guns.

Caston will be sentenced on October 1, 2024. He will be sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act based on his prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, including a federal armed bank robbery conviction and multiple house burglary convictions in Hinds County. Under the Armed Career Criminal Act, Caston will face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Harper previously pled guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Jones and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.