NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) -- The acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, Thomas J. Jaworski, announced Wednesday a new initiative aimed at prosecuting unlawful gun possession by people previously charged with murder and attempted murder.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), "Operation Bond Watch" seeks to deter individuals who are out on bond for certain crimes -- including first-degree murder, felony murder, second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and attempted second-degree murder -- from illegally owning firearms and potentially endangering the community.
Officials said if they discover someone on bond for a serious violent crime has unlawfully possessed a gun, "federal prosecutors will, where the evidence supports it, swiftly seek appropriate federal charges against those individuals" under this program.
"The goal is to keep the community safe from gun violence and to prevent those on bond while charged with murder and attempted murder from illegally carrying guns while awaiting their day in court," Jaworski said.
"Breaking cycles of violent gun crime by repeat offenders is essential to the safety of the Nashville community," Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake explained. "Operation Bond Watch is an important tool in a system of checks and balances between a defendant’s arrest and ultimate adjudication of the case. I am grateful to Acting U.S. Attorney Jaworski and our strong partners in the ATF and FBI for their commitment in helping us hold violent criminals accountable."
"Protecting the public is at the core of our ATF mission," stated Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson of the Nashville Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). "We, along with our law enforcement partners, stand ready to work tirelessly to prevent those who choose to illegally possess firearms from wreaking havoc on law abiding citizens."
"The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners on Operation Bond Watch," Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office said. "Here in Tennessee, the FBI will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to deter defendants who are out on bond for serious violent crimes from illegally possessing firearms. Everyone deserves to live in a community free of gun violence."
Officials said a Nashville man out on bond for a 2021 murder was arrested on suspicion of committing another murder back in April, adding that both cases are still pending. However, the DOJ did not identify this man in the statement released on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
"We believe in the presumption of innocence and a right to a fair trial," Jaworski said, "but we also believe that the community should be protected from individuals unlawfully possessing firearms when there is the potential to cause destructive violence."
According to officials, prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville have previously charged people on bond for murder with unlawful weapons possession offenses.
For example, 30-year-old Mark Ellis, of Clarksville, was out on bond for first-degree murder when he was arrested in 2022 with a 9mm pistol and a pound of fentanyl during a drug deal, the DOJ reported. Ellis was convicted in 2023 and sentenced the following March to 25 years in federal prison.
Through "Operation Bond Watch," officials said more federal resources will be used against people who illegally own guns while on bond for serious violent crimes.
"Our commitment to the safety of our community has been steadfast," Jaworski stated. "This new initiative will hopefully deter those awaiting a trial on serious charges from illegally carrying a gun, which is better for everyone."
According to the DOJ, this initiative is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, as well as make neighborhoods safer for everyone.