A 19-year-old Beaumont man has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Damon Donte Henry pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and was sentenced on November 13, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale.
The conviction stems from an incident on March 30, 2024, when Henry smuggled a fully loaded, unregistered short-barreled AR-15 style rifle into the South Texas State Fair. At approximately 10:30 p.m., Beaumont police officers on bike patrol noticed Henry acting suspiciously while carrying a large backpack. When approached, Henry fled, discarding the backpack. Officers later discovered the AR-15-style rifle and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. After a brief chase, Henry was apprehended in the parking lot.
Investigators found that the rifle had been unlawfully modified to be shorter than federally mandated specifications and was not registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The firearm was also equipped with a large-capacity magazine containing 26 rounds of ammunition.
Henry was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 5, 2024. The case was part of the ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence in communities across the nation. The case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FBI, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
