Tioga Man Convicted Of Being A Felon In Possession Of Explosives

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Calvin James Doherty, 43, of Tioga, La., guilty on Wednesday of being a felon in possession of explosive material and improper storage of explosive material.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the two-day trial.

Doherty’s trial began Tuesday and ended Wednesday with the jury returning the guilty verdicts after deliberating for about 30 minutes.  Witness testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence at the two-day trial established that on July 26, 2011, members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force went to Doherty’s house in Tioga to arrest another person who had three outstanding felony arrest warrants pending against him.  While searching the home, Task Force members found and seized a spool belonging to Doherty.  The spool was wrapped with more than 700 feet of detonating cord, which is a high explosive.  Doherty had a prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine in 2007, which prohibited him from possessing any firearm, ammunition, or explosive.

Doherty faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release after he completes the prison term.  The sentencing date is April 25, 2014.

“Those with felony records are prohibited by law from owning dangerous devices such as explosives and firearms,” Finley stated.  “People who willfully commit these types of crimes will be prosecuted by this office to the fullest extent of the law.  I would like to thank the prosecutor and agents for their hard work in obtaining this conviction.”

Members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms and explosives laws.