United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of a Vermilion Parish case in the Western District of Louisiana on Tuesday. The defendant, Jacob Smith, was sentenced the illegal possession of firearms.

Smith, 30, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 9 years, 7 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm.

On Nov, 17, 2020, officers with the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office approached a vehicle that was stopped on the should of the highway and found the driver to be Smith. After making contact with Smith, deputies observed items in the vehicle that were commonly associated with the illegal ingestion of narcotics.

Deputies searched the vehicle and discovered a Taurus G3 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with 12 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle.

Smith has prior felony convictions for aggravated flight from an officer in 2013 and possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute in 2016 and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The case was investigated by the ATF and Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.