Beaumont felon sentenced to federal prison after leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle with a stolen gun
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms possession in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Christopher Eugene Stelly, 23, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on August 20, 2026.
Stelly was arrested on September 30, 2025, after leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle in Beaumont. According to reports, law enforcement officers at the intersection of North Major Drive and Dishman Road noticed a stolen vehicle stopped at a traffic light near them. The car suddenly accelerated through the red light and officers pursued in a high-speed chase. Stelly eventually stopped the vehicle and fled on foot into an apartment complex on French Road where he was apprehended. Stelly had a firearm in his pocket that had been reported stolen in 2018. Further investigation revealed Stelly is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
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 and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.