Sabine Parish felon sentenced to 68 months in prison for possessing four firearms at pawn shop

SHREVEPORT, La. – Joseph Seth Rivers, 36, of Converse, Louisiana, was sentenced Monday to five years and four months in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession of firearms by a convicted felon.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release following imprisonment.

According to the July 10, 2018 guilty plea, Rivers pawned four firearms at a pawnshop in Many, Louisiana on August 20, 2016: a Smith & Wesson revolver, model: 66, .357 caliber; a Ruger rifle, model: 10-22, 22LR caliber; a Browning shotgun, model BPS, 16 gauge; and a Remington rifle, model: 700, .270 caliber.  According to store policy, a photo license or identification card must be presented by the person pawning the firearms.  Rivers’ name, address and Louisiana driver’s license number matched the information included on the pawn ticket for these four firearms.  Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.  In 2009, Rivers was convicted for aggravated assault with a firearm.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

The ATF and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.