A Jacksonville man with multiple felony convictions has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for a firearms offense, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
Eric Pryor, 52, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and received his sentence from U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on August 21, 2025.
Court documents show that on November 17, 2023, law enforcement responded to a report of reckless driving. Upon arrival, officers reviewed doorbell camera footage showing Pryor stepping out of a car and firing four shots at a truck. The truck drove through the front yard of the residence in an attempt to avoid being hit by gunfire. Authorities soon located both vehicles on Highway 135, where Pryor admitted he had fired the handgun at the truck.
Further investigation revealed Pryor’s history of prior felony convictions. These include burglary of a building, possession of a controlled substance, theft of a firearm, evading arrest with a vehicle, and previous charges as a felon in possession of a firearm. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms.
"This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN)."
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Noble prosecuted it.
