HOUSTON – On Wednesday, the FBI, Houston police and the United States Attorney’s Office announced that several dozen felons have been charged with varying offenses related to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition throughout Harris County.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) led a 90-day surge with the assistance of the FBI, HPD, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Over the course of those days, 44 people were indicted and six others were charged by the criminal complaint as being felons illegally in possession of firearms or ammunition. So far, 36 have been arrested. Warrants have been issued for 14 others.
U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said the goal was to help reduce firearms-related violent crime and to assist in reducing the backlog of felon-in-possession cases throughout the county. He said that the backlog had allowed previously convicted felons who were arrested with a firearm to remain in the community for several months, sometimes years, before they faced a trial.
The surge involved over a dozen investigators, an intelligence research specialist as well as prosecutors on both the state and federal levels.
Federal firearms charges carry potential terms of imprisonment of up to 10 or 15 years depending on the offense date and maximum fines of $250,000.