JACKSON — A Meridian man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Thursday.

Court documents show Patrick Terrell Lewis Jr., 31, was found in possession of a firearm in his vehicle by officers of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 7, 2021, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Mississippi.

The release states that Lewis was stopped by officers while in the parking lot of a motel on suspicion connected to an unrelated investigation, and the officers smelled marijuana. One officer then checked the vehicle and saw a marijuana grinder inside the vehicle on top of the center console. When the officer looked under the driver’s seat, a 9mm pistol was found. Lewis has two prior felony convictions and was on probation at the time of this incident.

Lewis pled guilty on Oct. 31, 2022 to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office and the ATF investigated the case.

The sentencing was announced U.S. Attorney Darren LaMarca and ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica S. Terrill and Charles W. Kirkham prosecuted the case.

The news release added that the case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.