Houston man and woman sentenced for federal firearm and drug violations

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston man and woman have been sentenced for federal firearm and drug violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Christopher Jay Johnson, Jr., 35, pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.  Lissette Elvira Guevara, 37, also of Houston, pleaded guilty the same day to possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced by Judge Crone last month to serve 113 months in prison.

According to information presented in court, on March 6, 2022, Bridge City police officers investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle parked at a business on Texas Avenue and found Johnson in the passenger seat with a fully loaded pistol on his lap.  The strong odor of marijuana led to a search of the vehicle resulting in the discovery of 40 grams of methamphetamine in Guevara’s belongings.  Further investigation revealed Johnson was previously convicted of aggravated robbery, felon in possession of a firearm, and controlled substance offenses in Montgomery County, and prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.  A federal grand jury indicted Johnson and Guevara on April 5, 2023.

“Guns and drugs are a bad combination,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “We will always  support our local law enforcement partners in the investigation and prosecution of cases like this one that involve guns and dangerous repeat offenders. This is also a good reminder to the citizens in our district that if you ‘see something, say something.’ Here, a concerned citizen’s call pointed law enforcement to a threat they might have otherwise missed.”  

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 was investigated by the Bridge City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.

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