Keithville convicted felon sentenced to seven years in federal prison for illegal possession of pistol

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Michael Roy Reed, 44, of Keithville, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to serve seven years in federal prison for illegally possessing a .380-caliber pistol.  Reed previously pleaded guilty on February 12, 2019, to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Shreveport Police received a call on January 23, 2018, from a concerned citizen about a Colt, Model: Mustang XSP, .380-caliber pistol.  The caller informed the police that he had received the firearm from Reed as payment for performing work on Reed’s truck.  After investigating the matter further, police officers learned that the Mustang Colt pistol was one of seven firearms reported stolen from a pawn shop days earlier and that Reed was a convicted felon.

Reed was convicted in Ouachita Parish on July 8, 2013, for illegal possession of stolen things, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Reed was indicted September 27, 2018.  Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. 

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Project Safe Neighborhoods 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.