Damon Donte Henry, 19, pleaded guilty to possession of an unregistered firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on November 13, 2024.
According to information presented in court, Henry smuggled a fully loaded short-barreled AR-15 style rifle into the South Texas State Fair on March 30, 2024. Around 10:30 p.m., Beaumont police on bike patrol at the fair noticed Henry suspiciously carrying a large backpack near one of the rides. When the officers attempted to speak with Henry, he immediately ran away, discarding the backpack. Officers quickly discovered the AR-15-style rifle and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. After a short chase, Henry was subdued in the fair parking lot. After recovering the firearms, officers found that the rifle was unlawfully modified to be shorter than required by federal law, which mandates that rifles with an overall length less than 26 inches or a barrel less than 16 inches be registered with the ATF. The rifle was also equipped with a large capacity magazine and 26 rounds of ammunition. A federal grand jury indicted Henry on June 5, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
