United States Attorney Richard B. Roper
Northern District of Texas

DALLAS GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, WITHOUT PAROLE, FOR FIREARMS CONVICTIONS

DALLAS — A Dallas man, Gilbert Hart, who was arrested by Dallas Police officers on an outstanding warrant in October 2006, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 96 months (eight years) in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Richard B. Roper of the Northern District of Texas. Hart, 22, pled guilty in April 2007 to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

On October 4, 2006, Hart was standing on North Lancaster in Dallas when a Dallas Police Officer noticed him and approached him in connection with a pending arrest warrant. Hart did not attempt to flee, but surrendered and advised the officer that he was in possession of approximately $50 worth of crack cocaine and a pistol. In 2005, in Dallas County, Hart had been convicted of a burglary of a building, a felony offense.

At today’s sentencing hearing, evidence was presented that Hart is a member of the Jr. Homeboys and Puro Tango Blast gangs.

The case was presented to the U.S. Attorney's Office for federal prosecution as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods/Anti-Gang initiative, a collaborative effort by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and communities to aggressively prosecute firearm-related offenses and combat gangs by building on the effective strategies and partnerships developed under Project Safe Neighborhoods.

U.S. Attorney Roper praised the investigative efforts of the Dallas Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks.

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