Magnolia Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

Jackson, Miss. - A Magnolia man was sentenced to 26 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Edward Dewayne Cockerham, 35, was found in possession of a firearm by Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics agents and a Pike County Sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop. Cockerham had a prior felony conviction for failing to support minor children and was on supervised probation at the time he possessed the firearm.

Cockerham was indicted by a federal grand jury for possessing the firearm as a convicted felon. He pled guilty on April 30, 2024.

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

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Pike County Sheriff's Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway prosecuted the case.

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.