Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

MONROE, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Eugene Thurman, 46, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Thurman with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Thurman pleaded guilty on March 10, 2021. According to information presented in court, detectives with the Monroe Police Department received an anonymous tip that Thurman, a convicted felon, was possessing an assault rifle inside his Monroe apartment. Police officers went to Thurman’s residence to investigate and eventually discovered a loaded assault rifle inside his bedroom.

Thurman was previously convicted in the U.S. District Court in Monroe in 2002 for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. In addition, he has a state felony conviction for cocaine possession in 2003.

The ATF and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Shannon prosecuted the case.

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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.