BEAUMONT, Texas - A 44-year-old Beaumont, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Michael Jon Gelagotis pleaded guilty on Aug. 17, 2016, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone.
According to information presented in court, on Sep. 24, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Gelagotis’s residence after he had violated the terms of his state probation for impersonating a public servant. Inside the residence, the officers found 34 firearms, including high-caliber rifles, semi-automatic pistols, and a shotgun. The officers also found more than 30,000 rounds of assorted ammunition and more than 40 large capacity 223 caliber magazines, and a ballistic vest. As a convicted felon, Gelagotis is prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. Gelagotis was previously convicted of risk of injury in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1993, and grand larceny, in Newport, Vermont, in 1997. Gelagotis was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 4, 2016 and charged with federal firearms violations.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, aimed at reducing gun and gang violence, deterring illegal possession of guns, ammunition and body armor, and improving the safety of residents in the Eastern District of Texas. Participants in the initiative include community members and organizations as well as federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.