A Springfield, Missouri man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kenneth Terrell Jones, 58, received a sentence of 150 months without parole, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by United States District Court Judge Beth Phillips.
The case began on August 15, 2024, when an officer from the Springfield Police Department stopped an SUV with no license plates. During the stop, the officer saw a baggie containing suspected controlled substances. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 pistol that had been reported stolen from St. Louis and additional drugs including methamphetamine and heroin. Jones admitted to officers that both the firearm and drugs were his and said he purchased the gun from someone he only knew by an alias.
Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from possessing firearms or ammunition. Jones has prior convictions for burglary, unlawful use of a weapon, second-degree robbery, rape, hindering prosecution of a felony, felony stealing, felony possession of controlled substances, felony resisting arrest, tampering with a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan prosecuted the case after investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Springfield Police Department.
“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.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri handles federal prosecutions across 66 counties in western Missouri as part of its affiliation with the U.S. Department of Justice. The office collaborates with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners within its jurisdiction which stretches from Iowa to Arkansas borders and covers offices in Kansas City, Jefferson City and Springfield (official website). In addition to prosecuting cases like this one involving violent crime or drug trafficking offenses by felons in possession of firearms or ammunition; it also supports community outreach programs aimed at prevention efforts (official website).
