Greenville man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of a firearm

Aberdeen, Mississippi - A Greenville man was sentenced today to over three years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Curtis Demond Austin, 42, previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock to serve 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Austin is scheduled to report to prison on November 12, 2024.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to prosecuting convicted felons who illegally possess firearms," remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. "Those individuals who have been convicted of felony offenses are prohibited by law from possessing a gun and we will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal partners to see that they are held accountable if they violate the law."

"First, we would like to thank each agency involved in the success of this conviction," said Greenville Chief of Police Marcus Turner. "Making sure that those who break the law are apprehended and convicted is our priority. The Greenville Police Department is committed to ensuring the safety of the community and strives daily to reduce gun violence and gang activity."

This case was investigated by the Greenville 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.