An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced to more than 13 years in federal prison following a guilty plea for owning a firearm as a convicted felon. John Marion LeBlanc, 45, received a 162-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Tuesday, as announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. according to the U.S. Attorney's Office statement.
The conviction stems from an incident on October 29, 2023, when law enforcement officers were dispatched to a disturbance at the Orange Boat Ramp on Pier Road, where they encountered a chaotic scene—a large crowd, numerous vehicles, and ongoing gunfire. One person was injured in the arm during the event. It was later discovered through video surveillance footage that LeBlanc arrived and fired a pistol into the crowd. He was also seen discarding the gun into the grass as police approached, which was subsequently recovered. This gunplay follows a history of eight felony convictions for LeBlanc, including two federal drug trafficking convictions, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
This case falls under the auspices of Operation Take Back America, a comprehensive initiative launched by the Department of Justice. The program aims to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and shield communities from violent crime. By pooling resources from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood, the initiative intends to fortify law enforcement's response to such threats, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Both the Orange Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives carried out the investigation leading to LeBlanc's conviction, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn handling the prosecution. As a convicted felon, LeBlanc was barred under federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition—a regulation meant to curb the potential for further criminal activity by individuals with a proclivity to offend, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
