A Newton man was sentenced in the Southern District of Mississippi Court Thursday to 120 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

In a news release, U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn announced William Eric Chapman, 41, received his sentence after pleading guilty to the charges May 31.

Meridian Police Department officers discovered Chapman in possession of firearms while investigating an alleged assault on Jan. 20, 2020, the news release said. Chapman had a .556 caliber rifle and a sawed-off shotgun in his motel room.

“Chapman has several prior felony convictions,” LaMarca and Thielhorn said. “As a convicted felon, it is contrary to federal law for Chapman to possess any firearm.

The case was investigated by MPD and the ATF as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a federal, state and local effort to reduce violent crime.