2 Shreveport felons plead guilty and another sentenced on firearm charges

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that one Shreveport felon was sentenced and two other felons pleaded guilty this week to possessing firearms prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

Shreveport felon sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally possessing firearm in car at Quail Creek Road apartment

Charles M. Thomas, 21, of Shreveport, was sentenced Tuesday to two and a half years in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the February 21, 2018 guilty plea, a Shreveport Police officer observed a vehicle idling in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Quail Creek Road.  When the officer approached the vehicle, he observed Thomas, the driver, placing a handgun under his seat.  The firearm was loaded with four rounds of .45 caliber ammunition.  Thomas had previously been convicted of three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm in 2016. The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possessing pistol at Monkhouse Drive hotel

Kevin Summerfield, 26, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, a Shreveport Police officer encountered Summerfield at a hotel on Monkhouse Drive. The officer observed that Summerfield had a firearm in his waistband, and he was subsequently arrested. The firearm was a Hi-Point, Model CF380, .380-caliber pistol and was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Summerfield was previously convicted of two burglary felonies in 2011 and was not allowed to possess a firearm according to federal law. Summerfield faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for December 19, 2018. The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan is prosecuting the case.

Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possessing pistol in car at Dickinson Street

Kenneth W. Robinson, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers observed Robinson on January 25, 2018 sitting in a vehicle on Dickinson Street. When officers approached, Robinson fled the vehicle on foot to a nearby apartment. Officers saw a Smith & Wesson SW9VE, 9 mm pistol on the driver’s side floorboard where Robinson had been sitting. They also located Robinson’s mobile phone next to the firearm. He was later arrested and admitted that the firearm was his. Robinson was previously convicted of illegal use of a weapon in 2004, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in 2008 and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2013. The felonies restricted him from possessing a firearm under federal law. Robinson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for December 20, 2018. The ATF, Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Unit and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.

These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.   In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.