Following a federal grand jury's decision earlier this week, Silsbee resident Justin Keith Colley, age 37, is now formally charged with carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a violent crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The grand jury's indictment handed down in the Eastern District of Texas comes as the result of an alleged incident that took place on June 20, 2025, where Colley is accused of using a firearm to forcefully commit carjacking.
The charges laid upon him could lead to a very serious sentence, given that Colley, a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms, according to a report by the U.S. Attorney's Office. As part of its broader effort to stymie illegal immigration and dismantle the operations of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, the Department of Justice has tied this case to Operation Take Back America. This nationwide initiative uses the DOJ's full resources to combine the goals of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) in a united effort to protect communities from violent crime.
Authorities, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Silsbee Police Department, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, have been instrumental in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin is tasked with the prosecution. If the allegations hold in court, and Colley is convicted, his sentence could be as severe as life in federal prison, indicating the high stakes of this legal battle. It’s important to remember that an indictment is a form of accusation, not evidence of guilt, and until proven otherwise, defendants like Colley are presumed innocent.
