United States Attorney
Northern District of Texas

1100 Commerce St., 3rd Fl.
Dallas, Texas 75242-1699

Telephone (214) 659-8600
Fax (214) 767-0978

CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS
IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE,
ON FEDERAL FIREARMS CONVICTION

Case Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative

United States Attorney Richard B. Roper announced that Brian S. Higginbotham, a/k/a “Higgy,” was sentenced today by the Honorable Jerry Buchmeyer, United States Senior District Judge, to 84 months imprisonment. Higginbotham, age 33, of Wichita Falls, Texas, pled guilty in September 2006 to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Higginbotham has been in custody since his arrest in March 2006.

On March 30, 2006, deputies from the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance complaint on Seymour Highway in Wichita County, Texas. When deputies arrived they encountered Brian Shawn Higginbotham who initially tried to run away from them. Higginbotham told deputies that he had a loaded firearm on his person and deputies removed a loaded .38 caliber revolver from Higginbotham’s pants pocket. Deputies then learned that Higginbotham was a convicted felon, having been convicted of three felony offenses in Wichita County, Texas, and Cotton County, Oklahoma.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, a federal program aimed toward the aggressive prosecution of gun crimes. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Tromblay.

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