Port Arthur felon sentenced to federal prison for gun and drug violations

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Port Arthur convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms and drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Jacob Jermaine Alpough, 42, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on October 28, 2024.

According to information presented in court, on October 10, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Alpough’s residence located on West 5th Street in Port Arthur.  At the time of the search, Alpough was the only individual at the residence. During the search, officers found two tightly wrapped packages containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine under the dining room table.  They also located a food storage container in the kitchen with approximately one kilogram of cocaine.  Additionally, there was a semi-automatic pistol laying on the floor of the living room in plain view near where Alpough had been sleeping.  The firearm had an extended magazine with 17 rounds of ammunition in it.  Alpough is a convicted felon, having three prior felony convictions in Jefferson County for possession of a controlled substance and another conviction for intoxicated assault. As a convicted felon, Alpough is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.

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