A Buna resident, Leotis Cornelius McMahon, 48, has been sentenced to 400 months in federal prison for firearms and drug trafficking offenses. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas.
McMahon was found guilty after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 5, 2025. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that law enforcement began investigating McMahon in 2023 for suspected narcotics distribution in Southeast Texas. On January 5, 2024, officers conducted a traffic stop on McMahon in Lumberton following extended surveillance and discovered he was transporting nearly one kilogram of methamphetamine.
Following the traffic stop, authorities obtained and executed a search warrant at McMahon’s residence in Buna. There they found materials used for distributing narcotics and four firearms, including an AR style pistol. One of the firearms had been reported stolen.
According to investigators, McMahon operated what they described as a mobile illegal drug shop. The quantities of controlled substances and distribution tools such as scales and bags indicated he was dealing significant amounts of drugs for profit.
Further investigation confirmed that McMahon is a convicted felon who is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts involving Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Multiple agencies participated in the investigation: the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Texas Department of Public Safety – Criminal Investigations; Lumberton Police Department; Jasper County Sheriff’s Office; Beaumont Police Department; and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and John B. Ross prosecuted the case.
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