Show-Me State Times

A St. Louis man has been sentenced to over nine years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Michael Lamont Miller, Sr., 44, received a sentence of 110 months without parole from U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool. After completing his current state sentences on unrelated charges, Miller will begin serving the federal term, followed by three years of supervised release.

Miller pleaded guilty on February 4, 2025, to one count of illegal firearm possession stemming from an incident on March 30, 2022. During a traffic stop in Christian County, Missouri, Miller admitted to officers that there was a firearm in his vehicle. Police found a loaded Springfield-Armory XDS 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a round chambered and also discovered illegal substances near the weapon.

Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Branson Police Department, Christian County Sheriff’s Department, and Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that coordinates law enforcement efforts at all levels to address violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice strengthened this program in May 2021 with new strategies focused on building community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting targeted enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.

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