Jamarhi Raheem Lucas, 23, of Natchez, pleaded guilty Thursday before Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to possessing a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

On September 22, 2018, Jamarhi Raheem Lucas, who was one of two men standing outside of a residence on Ouachita St. in Natchez, attempted to flee from law enforcement officers as they approached him.

Officers detained him and while they were identifying him, they saw a short-barreled rifle that was fully automatic (machine gun) in the car that belonged to him. Officers seized the short-barreled machine gun.

On June 12, 2019, Lucas was charged in a federal indictment with possessing a machine gun and of possessing a machine gun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

Lucas will be sentenced by Judge Bramlette on June 4, 2020. He faces a statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bert Carraway and Glenda Haynes.