A Keller man is facing serious federal time after a loaded handgun turned up in a suitcase tagged with his young daughter's name at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, prosecutors say.
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted 44-year-old Xavier Lamar Mottley, also known as Xavier Thomas, on Wednesday of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charge stems from a July 24, 2024 incident at DFW Airport, where officers found a loaded, unsecured Sig Sauer pistol in a checked bag. Jurors heard testimony from investigators about how the bag was checked, where the weapon was discovered and what Mottley told authorities before returning a guilty verdict.
According to MyTexasDaily, agents say Mottley checked the bag under his minor daughter's name and initially denied both being a convicted felon and owning the gun. The outlet reports that Mottley has previous convictions that include a federal access-device fraud case and a state theft conviction. He now faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for August 7 before Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen and Matt Capoccia handled the prosecution.
Investigators and airport security
Authorities say the investigation pulled in several agencies that routinely team up at one of the country's busiest airports. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI all worked alongside the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport moves tens of millions of passengers every year, which officials point to as a big reason they keep hammering the rules about traveling with firearms. The airport's public information materials detail a maze of checkpoints, baggage systems and passenger flows that can turn enforcement into a constant game of catch-up. Travelers are repeatedly warned to follow federal regulations and airline policies when transporting guns, which generally require the weapon to be unloaded, properly secured and declared.
Legal next steps
The conviction on the felon-in-possession charge carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison, according to reporting. Prosecutors say that in a sprawling hub like DFW, where people and bags never stop moving, vigilance about firearms in luggage is non-negotiable.
At the August sentencing hearing, the court will weigh federal sentencing guidelines, Mottley's criminal history and arguments from both sides before setting the punishment, MyTexasDaily reports.
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