Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm

BOSTON – A Taunton man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jermaine Rodrigues, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Oct. 10, 2024. In July 2023, Rodrigues was indicted by a federal grand jury. 

In June 2022, Rodrigues possessed two Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, .300 blackout firearms – one of which was equipped with a laser sight and optics affixed to the top rail. In addition, Rodrigues possessed almost 100 rounds of .300 blackout ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Taunton and Fall River Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorneys Luke A Goldworm and Meghan C. Cleary of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.