A Selma resident was found guilty of possession of a firearm after conviction of a felony.

U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore announced Monday that Jarriet Rascoe, 32, was found guilty at a trial on Sept. 6.

Evidence in the trial revealed Rascoe knew he was a felon on Feb. 7. A Selma Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop on a speeding white Oldsmobile Cutlass being driven by Rascoe.  As the vehicles came to a stop, the officer ran a check on the tag of the vehicle.  The vehicles came to a stop in Rascoe’s driveway.  As the officer approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, Rascoe quickly exited the vehicle and said, “I don’t want a speeding ticket.”

The officer told him to stop and stay where he was.  Rascoe complied.  The officer asked Rascoe for his driver’s license and proof of insurance.  Rascoe responded that he did not have his license on him and he did not have insurance.  Rascoe asked a child in the yard at his residence to retrieve his license from inside a different vehicle in the yard of the residence and the child did.

The officer ran Rascoe’s license and also learned that the tag came back to a different vehicle. The officer then believed that the vehicle may have been stolen. The officer asked Rascoe if the vehicle was his and Rascoe said, “Yes.”

Rascoe appeared nervous. The officer then asked Rascoe if he had illegal drugs or weapons in the vehicle. Rascoe replied, “No.”  Next, the officer asked for permission to search the vehicle and Rascoe said, “No.”

The officer decided to call for a K-9 unit.  The K-9 unit arrived approximately four minutes later.   The K-9 officer walked his dog around the vehicle and the dog alerted on the front driver’s door.

A search was then conducted of the vehicle.  Seized from the driver’s side floorboard was a small quantity of marijuana.  Seized from the trunk of the vehicle were three firearms.  Two of the firearms were loaded.  The firearms were described as a Smith & Wesson, model SD40, .40 caliber pistol, a Ruger, model P89, .9 caliber pistol and Smith & Wesson, model 51, .22 caliber revolver.  Rascoe told the officers that he was aware of one of the firearms but not the other two.

Rascoe asked the officers if the “feds were going to get the case?”  One officer replied, ‘I don’t know.”  Rascoe asked the officer again, “do you think the feds are gonna pick up this case?”  The officer responded, “You know you are a felon and should not be riding around with guns in the trunk.”

At that time of the arrest, Rascoe had been convicted of a felony.