Beaumont felon guilty of federal firearms violation

BEAUMONT, Texas - A Beaumont man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

Brian Keith Murphy, 32, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 28, 2024.

According to information presented in court, on August 11, 2024, law enforcement officers received a call of shots fired near a gas station on Concord Avenue in Beaumont. As officers were being dispatched to the scene, the Beaumont Police Department was able to view a live stream of the shooting through their "Real-Time-Crime Center." Officers monitoring the live stream were able to witness the shooter fire multiple shots near vehicles and individuals in the parking lot. Through coordination with officers monitoring the live stream and officers on scene, law enforcement was able to identify the vehicle the shooter had fled in. The vehicle was stopped, and Murphy was identified as the shooter. Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Murphy was fleeing in, one of which was the firearm Murphy used in the shooting. Murphy was on federal supervised release at the time for a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Possessing a firearm by previously convicted felons is prohibited under federal law.

Murphy was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2024. Murphy faces up to 15 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum 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 is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.

###