A Crockett man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms charge in the Eastern District of Texas, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Clifford Heniser, 35, admitted guilt to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christine L. Stetson on August 26, 2025.
Court records show that on March 15, 2025, Heniser entered the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and asked for their “federal reports.” After a dispatcher told him to wait for a deputy, Heniser left the building and returned with a firearm. He then exited again and fired the weapon in the parking lot. Law enforcement officers responded and disarmed him. Two firearms were seized from Heniser at the scene, and he was arrested. Investigators later confirmed that Heniser is a convicted felon who is not allowed to possess firearms.
Heniser was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 2, 2025. He could face up to 15 years in federal prison at sentencing. The actual sentence will be determined by the court after considering advisory guidelines and other statutory factors following a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime through combined efforts of programs such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Houston County Sheriff’s Office; Crockett Police Department; and Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald S. Carter is prosecuting.
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