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Felon and Drug Dealer Sentenced to 48 years
 
  On December 30, 2019, the Madison County, Tennessee Grand Jury indicted 29-year-old Brandon Montreal Jones of Jackson, Tennessee with Possession of Marijuana and Methamphetamine with Intent to Sell or Deliver, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. The indictment was the result of a traffic stop on June 5, 2019, by Jackson Police Department Officer Greg Morris, Officer Morris stopped a black Kia Forte for a minor traffic violation, but as he spoke to the driver of the vehicle, a concerned citizen flagged down Madison County Deputy Sheriff Ron Try who was refueling near the traffic stop. The concerned citizen alerted Deputy Try that the passenger of the vehicle, later identified as Brandon Montreal Jones, had just thrown a firearm under the car parked adjacent to the Kia. Jones was detained and a large bag of pills and marijuana were found under the vehicle as well as a loaded firearm. Jones was caught on multiple videos, including video from Officer Morris' patrol car dash camera and video from the store the car was parked in front of, throwing the drugs and gun under the car. At the time the offense occurred, Jones had 4 prior felony convictions: two separate convictions for Possession of Schedule VI With the Intent to Sell/Deliver as well as two separate convictions for Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony.

  On May 27, 2021, after a one-day trial in Madison County Circuit Court Division Il, a jury convicted the defendant of Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Sell and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony after Having Previously Been Convicted of Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. At his sentencing on August 9, 2021, Judge Donald Allen sentenced Jones to 35 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction. Assistant District Attorney General Bradley F. Champine represented the State of Tennessee at trial.

 Because the Defendant was arrested for felony offenses on two occasions while on bond, the law requires that those sentences be served consecutively. Yesterday on August 23, 2021, in one of the remaining cases the Defendant entered a guilty plea to Possession of Marijuana With the Intent to Sell/Deliver, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Dangerous Felony. In the last remaining case, the Defendant pled guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. These two guilty pleas resulted in him being sentenced an additional 13 years in the Tennessee Department of Correction, which must be served consecutively to the 35-year sentence that was already imposed. The total effective sentence is 48 years.
   "Drug dealers represent a significant source of violence on our streets," said District Attorney General Jody S. Pickens. "Not only does the poison they sell kill people directly every day, but when drug dealers decide to carry firearms, innocent people wind up in the cross-fire should they be utilized to settle disputes. Thankfully, Tennessee has strict laws that specifically punish repeat offenders for this dangerous, violent trade as well as those who continue to go armed during the commission of their felonious acts even after having been previously convicted of felonies. This defendant checks both of those boxes. This case represents three things; first, the verdict and subsequent sentence in this case will ensure that this multiple convicted felon will not sell drugs on the streets of Jackson again for many years to come; secondly, there are individuals such as this defendant who have no intention of following the law as evidenced by the fact that after having been convicted of multiple felonies in his past, he continued even while on bond and under the jurisdiction of the Court, to arm himself and engage in drug trafficking; lastly, law enforcement cannot do it alone and this case stands as an example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement and the community work together. I applaud the work of law enforcement in this case and the willingness of a concerned citizen to get involved to assist law enforcement in holding this law breaker accountable".