By Anthony Henry

A 23-year-old Jamaican man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison in the United States after pleading guilty to illegally possessing a firearm while unlawfully in the country.

Akeem A Sirdine, who had been living in Branson, Missouri, was sentenced by a US District Judge to two years’ imprisonment without parole. He will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, Sirdine pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025, to one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.

Authorities said Sirdine had been issued a J1 student visa that authorised him to remain in the United States until September 2024. However, he remained in the country beyond that period. At the time of his arrest in February 2025, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol fitted with an extended magazine.

Under U.S. federal law, it is illegal for any person who is unlawfully in the United States to possess a firearm.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Taney County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri.

Prosecutors said the matter forms part of “Operation Take Back America,” a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, transnational criminal organisations, and violent crime.