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Press Release

Firearm Conviction Sends Texas Man to Federal Prison

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 52-year-old Houston man has been sentenced in Corpus Christi federal court following his conviction for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. A jury returned a guilty verdict against Donnell Eldridge Jan. 9, 2019.

Today, Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Eldridge to 85 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court commented that nothing had deterred Eldridge’s continued criminal conduct and noted the importance of protecting the community.  

On June 20, 2018, officers with the Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD) were conducting an investigation near City Hall located in the 1200 block of Leopard Street. As they approached a group of individuals, Eldridge quickly began to walk off and failed to respond to questions.

One of the officers continued to walk behind him and observed Eldridge remove an item from his waistband and throw it on the ground. An officer soon located a loaded .22 caliber revolver in the surrounding area.

Eldridge had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated robbery, and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.

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

The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Neel Kapur are prosecuting the case.

Updated April 8, 2019

Topic
Firearms Offenses