Tarrant County prosecutors are publicly tipping their hats to officers from the Pantego Police Department after a local man received a 25-year prison sentence for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Prosecutors say 52-year-old Timothy Martin was convicted following a July 2025 traffic stop where officers seized marijuana and, according to investigators, a firearm.
In a post on X, the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office said Martin was convicted and handed a 25-year sentence. The post specifically praised the officers involved, offering “Special thanks to Officer Roger Vega and Detective Vanessa Anderson,” according to the Tarrant County DA.
Special thanks to Officer Roger Vega and Detective Vanessa Anderson with the Pantego Police Department for their work on this case and their commitment to keeping our community safe. pic.twitter.com/IKR2IAUjfd
— Tarrant County DA (@TarrantCountyDA) June 9, 2026
Pantego Officers Credited for the Stop
The DA’s office spotlighted the Pantego Police Department, which serves the small town just southeast of central Fort Worth, for initiating the traffic stop that ultimately fed into the conviction. The department lists its office location and contact details on its official site. Pantego Police Department handles local patrols and operates the town’s on-site jail facility.
Traffic Stop and Search
According to the DA’s post, officers pulled over Martin’s vehicle in July 2025 and reported finding marijuana. Police say Martin told them he had a firearm in his waistband. The DA also named investigator Bradley Gantt as part of the case team. County personnel records list Bradley Gantt as an investigator with the DA’s office, per Tarrant County.
What the Law Allows
Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is set out in Texas Penal Code §46.04 and is ordinarily a third-degree felony. That offense typically carries a punishment range of two to ten years in prison. A 25-year sentence falls well outside that standard range and suggests an enhanced punishment under Texas’s habitual-offender rules in Penal Code §12.42 when prior felony convictions are proven. That conclusion is an inference drawn from the statutes and the sentence length reported by the DA. See Texas Penal Code §46.04 and Texas Penal Code §12.42 for the statutory language.
The DA's social media post did not include a court docket link or a copy of the judgment, and the office did not attach any additional filings. The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office lists media contacts and the address of its Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center headquarters on its website for anyone seeking records or press information.
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