A Port Arthur man with prior felony convictions, 45-year-old Rickey Shawn Thomas, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm. He pleaded guilty, and U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone issued the sentence on Monday, announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Authorities executed a search warrant on Thomas's property during a drug trafficking investigation. They recovered four handguns, including two reported stolen, over five pounds of synthetic marijuana, and $40,000 in cash. Thomas, who has seven prior felony convictions, is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. The seized items were used as evidence in the case against him, as mentioned by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The conviction is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and violent crime. The case involved the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department, with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Quinn and Chris Jackson. The operation also involves the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
