An Orange, Texas resident has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations. Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. announced that John Marion LeBlanc, 45, received a sentence of 162 months after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025.
Court records indicate that the incident occurred on October 29, 2023, when law enforcement responded to reports of gunfire at the Orange Boat Ramp on Pier Road in Orange. Officers arrived to find a large crowd and numerous vehicles in the parking lot. As they approached, they heard gunshots and saw muzzle flashes; one individual had been shot in the arm. Surveillance footage captured LeBlanc arriving at the scene and firing into the crowd before discarding his weapon as police arrived.
LeBlanc's criminal history includes eight felony convictions, with two previous federal drug trafficking offenses. Federal law prohibits individuals with felony convictions from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators. This operation consolidates efforts from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The investigation was conducted by the Orange Police Department along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn prosecuted the case.
