Wiggins Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Gulfport, Miss. – A Wiggins, Mississippi man pled guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, Russell David Parker, 47, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in Stone County on March 9, 2024.

Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on November 21, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Stone County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Smith is 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 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.