A Clay County man with a history of felony convictions has been sentenced to federal prison after he was found possessing a loaded firearm during a traffic stop. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, deputies from the Clay County Sheriff's Office initially stopped the man for riding a motorcycle without a visible tag and discovered his license was suspended.
During the interaction, deputies noticed a suspicious bulge in the man's vest, which upon searching turned out to be a black Bryco Jennings 9mm pistol loaded with thirteen rounds. Identified as Haas, the individual was not legally permitted to have a firearm due to his prior felony convictions. Under federal law, it's illegal for convicted felons to ever possess firearms or ammunition once more.
The case against Haas was investigated by both the local sheriff's office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Jacksonville Office. It was Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein who took to prosecute the case. The Department of Justice has underscored this case as part of their broader initiative, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to lower violence in communities and emphasize proactive prevention. Launched on May 26, 2021, PSN has revamped its violent crime reduction strategy to more actively foster trust within communities, support violence prevention organizations, and to measure the results more carefully.
