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BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei today.

Charles Nicholas Lock, 34, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

“This case unfortunately shows why convicted felons are prohibited from owning firearms and ammunition,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “Project Safe Neighborhood prosecutions like this one demonstrate that the people of Jefferson County should not, and will not, accept the unreasonable risk of harm posed by armed felons in their community.”

According to court documents, on Oct. 22, 2018, officers with the Port Arthur Police Department responded to an emergency call regarding an individual who had been shot inside a residence on 7th Street in Port Arthur.  Upon arrival, they located the victim laying on a couch, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his leg.  The victim told officers that he got into a verbal argument with Charles Lock, after which Lock fired three shots at him, striking him one time in the leg.  Other witnesses reported seeing Lock flee the scene after the shooting.  Officers located three spent .380 caliber shell casings on the floor of the residence where the shooting occurred.  Further investigation revealed Lock has previously been convicted in October 2008 of possession of a controlled substance in Jefferson County, Texas, and as a convicted felon, is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.

Lock was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep. 7, 2021.  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, the Port Arthur Police Department and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Quinn.