50 people charged for illegally possessing guns, ammunition in Harris County

HOUSTON - In a 90-day initiative, more than 40 people have been charged in relation to illegally possessing firearms and ammunition throughout Harris County, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

During a 90-day surge conducted by various organizations, 44 people were indicted and six others were charged by criminal complaint as being felons illegally in possession of firearms or ammunition, reports say.

The organizations involved include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, the FBI, Houston Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

So far, officials say of the 50 people, 36 have been arrested and warrants remain outstanding for 14 others.

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According to reports, the goal of this initiative was to help reduce gun-related violent crime and to help reduce the backlog of felon-in-possession cases throughout Harris County. 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 trial.

More than a dozen investigators, an intelligence research specialist, and prosecutors on both state and federal levels were involved in this surge, officials say. It is in concert with the effort to combat violent crime in the area.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says the effort is not limited to Harris Count and law enforcement continues to target those similar felons who potentially pose a danger to the community.

For example, they report another man, an alleged gang member in the Navasota area they day, was in federal court for a detention hearing on Wednesday morning. The man is reportedly convicted felt now federally charged with illegally possessing.

Federal firearm charges carry possible of up to 10-15 years in prison depending on the date of the offense and maximum fines of $250,000.

An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law

Crime and Public Safety Harris County Houston