Jefferson County man sentenced to federal prison for burglarizing Beaumont gun store
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for burglarizing a gun store in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Leonard Joseph Flowers, 60, pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on July 30, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on July 17, 2025, a federally licensed gun store on East-Tex Freeway in Beaumont was burglarized and three firearms were stolen. Soon after, an investigation began and Flowers turned himself in to law enforcement and admitted to smashing the front door of the gun store and stealing the firearms.
Video surveillance identified the getaway car which led to James Christopher Moffett, a convicted felon. Moffett was stopped for a traffic violation that same day and found to be in possession of two of the firearms stolen in the earlier burglary. As a convicted felon, Moffett is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. Moffett, 56, of Beaumont, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison on June 4, 2026.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.