Convicted Felon Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of an AR-15 Rifle

Defendant claimed to be a sovereign citizen

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that Deandray Charles Grant, 30, of Forney, Texas, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to seven years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On September 10, 2019, Grant was found guilty by a federal jury in Shreveport following trial.

According to testimony presented during trial, a Greenwood, Louisiana, police officer pulled over Grant’s vehicle on November 23, 2018, for traveling 90 miles per hour in a 70 mile per hour speed zone. After the vehicle stopped, the officer approached Grant and asked for his identification. Grant told the officer that he was a “sovereign citizen” with “sovereign status” and did not have to comply with his request. Eventually, Grant exited the vehicle and was arrested. The officers discovered that he did not have any identification and had a small amount of marijuana in his front pocket. After searching the vehicle they found a DPMS Panther Arms AR-15, rifle, and 28 rounds of .556-caliber ammunition.

Grant has multiple felony convictions including possession with intent to distribute drugs (August 2013), simple burglary (April 2014), and possession of marijuana (May 2014), all in Caddo Parish. Under federal law, a convicted felon is not allowed to possess firearms or ammunition.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Greenwood Police Department, and Shreveport Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and Jessica Cassidy prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN plays a major role in the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.