Bounthieng Sommay, Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Texas 2013

AMARILLO, Texas — A Fort Worth, Texas, resident, Bounthieng Sommay, 39, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in August 2013 to one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson handed down the sentence on Tuesday, October 15, 2013. Sommay has been in federal custody since May 15, 2013, when he was arrested in the Dallas/Fort Worth area on various charges outlined in a federal indictment.

Sommay, a Laotian immigrant in the U.S. illegally, has a lengthy history of run-ins with the law. In 2008, he was convicted in South Dakota for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, making him a convicted felon.

On March 5, 2013, FBI special agents executed a search warrant at Sommay’s residence, as well as at his relatives’ residence, both located on Cane River Road in Fort Worth. At Sommay’s residence, agents found a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and ammunition. At his relatives’ residence, agents found two firearms, one having an obliterated serial number. Sommay admitted he owned all of the firearms.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Potter County Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vicki Lamberson is in charge of the prosecution and Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza is handling the forfeiture.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Robinson also ordered that Sommay forfeit the firearms to the government. Sommay’s sentence is the result of a guilty plea in August 2013. His arrest occurred on May 15, 2013, and the crime date for his firearm conviction was March 5, 2013.

Bounthieng Sommay is a 39-year-old Laotian immigrant in the U.S. illegally who has been convicted of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit the firearms to the government.

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