Damien Diggs U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas
A Vidor resident, Dennis Lee Kelley, has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. announced the sentencing in the Eastern District of Texas.
Kelley, aged 32, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and received a sentence of 46 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025.
Court records reveal that Kelley was arrested on July 27, 2023, near Hwy 105 in Beaumont due to an active warrant for a parole violation. During his arrest, authorities found a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. As a convicted felon, Kelley is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case was prosecuted under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which is part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime. PSN employs evidence-based strategies to tackle violent crime issues within communities by focusing enforcement on violent offenders and collaborating with local prevention and reentry programs.
The investigation was conducted by the Beaumont Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James handled the prosecution.
