Deondre Marquez Howard
Introduction
Deondre Marquez Howard, 27, a Beaumont felon, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael Truncale on October 1, 2026, in a case announced by U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs for the Eastern District of Texas. The count is a straight felon-in-possession charge prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods, and it traces to April 8, 2025, when a traffic stop in Beaumont put officers beside a 9mm pistol lying on a vehicle floorboard, near a passenger who confirmed the gun was his.
Background Information
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 making our country safe, and its 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.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Convicted and sentenced. Howard admitted the floorboard pistol was his and pleaded guilty to possessing it as a convicted felon, drawing a 30-month federal term.
According to information presented in court, on April 8, 2025, Howard was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Beaumont near Fannett Road and S. 11th Street. Officers smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and a search was conducted. During the search, a 9mm firearm was located on the floorboard near Howard, who confirmed the gun was his. Further investigation revealed Howard is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
Public Reaction and Consequences
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. 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. The release, updated October 2, 2026, records the 30-month sentence and nothing further — no fine, no supervised release term, no appeal.
Current Status
Howard is serving the 30-month term in federal prison, imposed by Judge Truncale the same day his guilty plea resolved the charge. The case’s public record ends there: one stop, one pistol, one admission, one sentence. He remains a person prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition, now holding a federal conviction that documents exactly how that prohibition was tested and enforced.
Impact on Their Career/Life
At 27, Howard will spend two and a half years in federal prison over a single pistol on a floorboard — precisely the kind of readily provable offense PSN’s strategy targets for accountability and deterrence. The conviction permanently forecloses lawful firearm and ammunition possession, stacks a federal felony on the record that already barred him from weapons, and marks him as a prosecuted PSN case in the Eastern District of Texas. For Beaumont, the message embedded in the release is the pipeline itself: a local traffic stop, a smell of marijuana, a confirmed admission, and a 30-month federal sentence announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Texas, “Jefferson County felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation” — source