A Statesboro man is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Statesboro Police officers arrested Melvin Jamarcus Lanier in January 2022 during a traffic stop after finding a pistol in his vehicle.

Lanier, 42, was indicted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns.

“An essential component in the fight against violent crime is our effort to keep guns out of the hands of criminals,” said David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to remove from our communities those who threaten the safety of our streets.”  

Also, Darrell Lamar Williams, 24, of Claxton, was indicted Friday on the same possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge as Lanier as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia announced Friday include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. 

In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Recent federal legislation increases the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022.

Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol.