SHREVEPORT, La. - United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Earl Vinson III, 21, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to serve 20 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He previously pleaded guilty to the federal firearm charge on April 10, 2019.
Shreveport police made contact with Vinson on April 24, 2018, outside a restaurant after receiving a call regarding Vinson being a possible suspect in an automobile burglary. The officers found that Vinson was in possession of a Keltec.380-caliber pistol. Vinson admitted that he knew he was not allowed to have a firearm as a convicted felon. He was convicted on Dec. 18, 2017, in state court for accessory after the fact to armed robbery. Under federal law, it is illegal for felons to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath 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.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
