Convicted felon imprisoned for firearms conviction after fleeing from police

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old Falfurrias resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Hector Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 21, 2022.

Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered him to serve 66 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information regarding Hernandez’s history of possessing firearms in vehicles as a convicted felon which includes two incidents in the year proceeding his arrest. The court also heard details of Hernandez’s flight from police and that the firearm he possessed was previously reported stolen.

On June 22, 2022, authorities attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle Hernandez was driving. He failed to stop and continued through several neighborhood streets at a high rate of speed. Even though two tires became disabled, he continued to drive on the rims. When the vehicle finally stopped, law enforcement discovered a firearm inside the waistband of Hernandez’s pants.

There were also two passengers in the car found to be illegally present in the United States.

Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Brooks County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.