Port Arthur Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms Violations

PORT ARTHUR, Texas – A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Rickey Shawn Thomas, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 22, 2025.

Court documents show that during the execution of a search warrant in a drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement recovered four handguns, two of which had been reported stolen. Investigators also found over five pounds of synthetic marijuana and more than $40,000 in cash. Thomas has seven prior felony convictions, and federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that coordinates resources from the Department of Justice, including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), to target violent crime, drug trafficking, and transnational criminal organizations.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Port Arthur Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Quinn and Chris Jackson.