JACKSON — A Vicksburg man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the FBI announced Friday.

According to court documents, Marquette Cornell McCroy, 42, was found in possession of a firearm following a traffic stop in Vicksburg in October 2020.

McCroy, who was the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, had previously been convicted of a felony and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms. McCroy threw the firearm on the ground as he attempted to flee the vehicle on foot.

In April 2017, McCroy was arrested after he was found with approximately 13 grams of marijuana during another traffic stop in Vicksburg. He was also charged with possession of cocaine in February 2020, and indicted as a habitual offender because he had two previous felony convictions at that point.

McCroy is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 6, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. Gee is the son of Vicksburg resident Anne Bullard Gee.

The Vicksburg Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway, also of Vicksburg, is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer for everyone.