Dennis Lee Kelley, 32, of Vidor, Texas, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for a firearms violation on February 7, 2025, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone handed down the sentence after Kelley pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The conviction stems from an incident on July 27, 2023, when Kelley was arrested near Hwy 105 in Beaumont on an active warrant for a parole violation. During the arrest, a pistol was found in the vehicle Kelley was driving. As a convicted felon, Kelley was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a joint effort between federal, state, and local authorities aimed at reducing violent crime. The program targets the most violent offenders and partners with community-based prevention and reentry programs.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.
