Smith Pleads Guilty

A Vidor man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston Thursday.

Job Allen Smith, 49, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person today before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.

According to court documents, on Nov. 18, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a search warrant at a residence in Vidor where they believed Smith would be in possession of narcotics.  During the search, officers discovered two firearms in the master bedroom closet.  Smith, a convicted felon, is prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. 

Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sep 7, 2022.  He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.  The maximum statutory 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 being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  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.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case is being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County SWAT, FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.