An Arthur City, Texas, man has been convicted of federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston on Friday.
Steven Dewayne Wilson, 57, was found guilty by a jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a one-week trial before U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan.
According to information presented in court, on March 8, 2017, members of the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call for service in Arthur City, where it was reported that gunshots had been fired near a residence. It was also reported that the shooter had assaulted another person by striking them in the head with the barrel of a firearm. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers made contact with the reporting parties and searched for Wilson, who was identified as the shooter and lived in a nearby camper. Unable to locate him, the officers left the scene, but they were called back early the next morning with reports that Wilson had returned. Upon contact with Wilson, deputies noticed spent shell casings scattered in front of his camper. Wilson denied possessing any firearms. A search warrant was eventually obtained for Wilson’s camper and vehicles. During the search of Wilson’s truck, officers found a rifle shoved under the backseat of the cab, and a plastic baggie of ammunition stuffed under the driver’s seat. Wilson, a convicted felon, was arrested for felon in possession of a firearm. During a subsequent interview, Wilson admitted to possessing the firearm, placing it in his truck, and firing it a few days prior. However, at trial, Wilson testified that an acquaintance named “James” actually brought the firearm to Wilson’s residence and that Wilson had never actually handled the firearm. Wilson was not able to provide further details as to whereabouts of “James” or any contact information for “James.”
Wilson was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2019. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lamar County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wes Wynne and Lesley Brooks.
