Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Demond Maurice Barnes, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.
According to information presented in court, on June 15, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a minor automobile accident in Port Arthur. While in route, officers received information from callers that one of the drivers had a firearm in his possession. Upon arrival, officers observed a red Ford Mustang that had backed into another vehicle. The driver of the Mustang, identified as Barnes, was unconscious in the driver’s seat, unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. When Barnes was removed from the vehicle, officers discovered he was sitting on a semi-automatic pistol. Further investigation revealed Barnes to be a convicted felon having been previously convicted in Louisiana of possession of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Barnes was prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.
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