Lincoln man gets over seven years in prison on gun charge

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – A Lincoln man will spend over seven years in prison for having a gun when he wasn’t supposed to, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

BJ Jaquez Rice, 30, was sentenced Tuesday to seven years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On March 11, 2022, a Lincoln Police officer pulled over a vehicle, in which Rice was a passenger.

The attorney’s office said the officer smelled marijuana and began a search of the vehicle.

Inside, the officer found a Smith & Wesson handgun tucked between the driver’s seat and the center console, according to the attorney’s office.

Another handgun was also found under the front passenger seat.

Later on, Rice gave the officer a fake name and date of birth.  He also told the officer that he had an ID issued to him in Florida.

The attorney’s office said Rice was arrested after discovering his real name.  He had prior felony convictions in North Carolina.

After his prison sentence, Rice will spend three years on supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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