Michael Antoine Lovelady, a 53-year-old from Lufkin, has entered a guilty plea for a federal firearms violation. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Lovelady confessed to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on August 14, as part of a case that ties into a broader federal initiative.
On March 14, Lovelady was stopped by police and arrested on existing warrants after trying to run away. Officers found a gun in his waistband. Investigators later confirmed he is a convicted felon, which makes it illegal for him to have a firearm. On May 15, a federal grand jury indicted him, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartel activity, and violent crime through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. Lovelady faces up to 15 years in prison, with his sentence to be determined by the court after a presentence investigation. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lufkin Police Department, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
