Moorhead felon headed to prison for possession of a loaded firearm in his home

(St. Paul, MN) -- A Moorhead man was sentenced to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a firearm in his home after a child was shot and killed with the weapon. The sentence was announced by acting U.S. Attorney Charles J. Kovats.

According to court documents, on March 2nd, 2021, 34-year-old Phillip Neal Jones possessed a pistol in his Moorhead home. While Jones was away from the home, a visiting child found the loaded gun under a large snack chip box in the kitchen. The gun went off, hitting and killing a second child.

Jones has several prior felony convictions in Hennepin and Anoka Counties. That means he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.