Liberty County felon sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after taking firearm from law enforcement officers during courtroom scuffle

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Liberty convicted felon has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Allen Joe Fregia, Sr., 48, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on May 14, 2026.

According to information presented in court, on April 29, 2025, Fregia was a defendant in a Liberty County courtroom where he had just been sentenced to prison by a State District Judge.  As he was being escorted out of the courtroom by several law enforcement officers, Fregia became enraged and noncompliant, and a scuffle ensued. During the altercation, Fregia removed a firearm from an officer’s gun holster. The officer was able to retrieve the firearm as other officers were able to subdue Fregia.  During the altercation, an officer suffered injuries that required medical attention. Fregia, a previously convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing the firearm.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

This case was investigated by the Texas Rangers, Liberty County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy Coleman.

Long Beach Man Sentenced to 2½ Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Molotov Cocktail at Anti-ICE Protest Last Year in Downtown L.A.

LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man who possessed a Molotov cocktail during an anti-immigration enforcement protest in downtown Los Angeles last year was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison.

Wrackkie Quiogue, 28, was sentenced by United States District Judge Anne Hwang. 

Quiogue pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. He has been in federal custody since June 2025.

In June 2025, federal law enforcement officials began conducting immigration enforcement operations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. During and following those operations, protests occurred in and around Los Angeles County. While many of the protestors peacefully exercised their First Amendment rights, some individuals directly engaged in violent actions to obstruct, impede, or injure law enforcement officers.

One such protest that turned violent occurred on June 8, 2025, in the Civic Center area of downtown Los Angeles. Members of the crowd threw rocks and bottles at law enforcement officials. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared an unlawful assembly. 

One police officer witnessed Quiogue possessing a Molotov cocktail. The glass bottle he held contained a flammable liquid (ethanol) and a source of ignition, namely a yellow piece of cloth soaked in ethanol, which acted as a wick. 

Fearing that Quiogue would light the Molotov cocktail and throw it at the officers, police approached Quiogue, causing him to attempt to flee. As the LAPD officers pursued him, Quiogue threw the unlit Molotov cocktail into the air. LAPD officers subdued and arrested Quiogue, who was holding a lighter in his right hand.

Quiogue admitted to knowingly possessing the destructive device and that he had not registered it with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.

“Unlike many of the individuals in the crowd, who were gathered to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights and protest immigration enforcement operations, [Quiogue] came prepared to instigate violence and inflict harm on the law enforcement officers assigned to protect the Roybal Federal Building,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Quiogue]’s premeditated actions endangered the law enforcement officers protecting Roybal Federal Building and the civilians who gathered to peacefully protest.”

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney David C. Lachman of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.

Star Prairie Sporting Goods Store Burglarized, $10,000 Reward Offered

STAR PRAIRIE, Wis. – The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a February 12, 2026, burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer in Star Prairie, Wisconsin.

The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office and ATF are investigating the early-morning break-in, during which a suspect entered through a window and stole nearly 50 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office at 715-386-4701 or email tipline@sccwi.gov 

Former Dallas Police Department Sergeant Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Stolen Service Weapons

A former Dallas Police Department sergeant who sold stolen service weapons was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Thomas Fry, 53, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Brantley Starr for possession and sale of a stolen firearm.

“This police officer violated his oath and the public’s trust when he chose to commit a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners work day and night to keep us safe and enforce the law, and our trust and faith in them will not waiver.  We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to root out the few bad apples among their ranks.”

“This case strikes at the core of public trust,” said Brian Garner Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division. “The very individuals entrusted to safeguard our communities must be held to the highest standard. When that trust is violated through the theft and illegal sale of firearms, it endangers the public and undermines the integrity of law enforcement. This 28-month federal sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who abuse their authority will be held accountable. ATF remains committed to working alongside our partners to protect our communities and prevent illegal firearms trafficking.

Court records reveal that Fry, who at the time was a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, admitted to three separate instances of taking a firearm owned by the Dallas Police Department, knowing that the firearms were stolen, and selling them to an Oklahoma pawn shop in June and July of 2022.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.