Beaumont felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

 

Gerald Downs, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 30, 2025.

 

According to information presented in court, on January 27, 2025, Downs was stopped by local law enforcement for a traffic violation in Beaumont.  Downs was released with a warning however, less than 30 minutes later, the officers were flagged down by a bystander regarding a disturbance between two individuals at a nearby service station.  While approaching the station, officers heard gun shots and witnesses pointed at the same vehicle they had stopped earlier that night driven by Downs.  The officers attempted to stop Downs again, but he fled the scene in the vehicle.  After a brief pursuit, Downs exited the vehicle and fled on foot.  Further investigation revealed Downs is a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law 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).

This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn.