Benicia resident Jeremiah Malik Jefferson, 27, entered a guilty plea for the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm, as announced by U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. This plea is not Jefferson's first brush with the law, having multiple prior felony convictions on his record, including one for the same offense he now admits to, accroding to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During a search of Jefferson's home in November 2023, the authorities found him in possession of a stolen, loaded firearm equipped with a high-capacity magazine. Having been convicted of burglary and a previous firearm possession crime, Jefferson is legally barred from owning or possessing firearms. According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the evidence against him was gathered in coordination between local and federal agencies, including the Benicia Police Department and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force.
Jefferson now faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. His sentencing hearing is set for February 11, 2025, before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. The final sentence, however, will be determined at the court's discretion after considering the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case, which is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative aimed at bringing together all levels of law enforcement with communities they serve for the purpose of reducing violent crime and gun violence. Launched on May 26, 2021, the enhanced Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy focuses on building trust in communities, supporting violence prevention at the community level, strategic enforcement priorities, and result measurement as described in the announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
