New Yorker Guilty of Possessing Automatic Rifle in Basilica School Zone

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Brooklyn, NY man has pleaded guilty to a federal firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.

Ahmed Abdalla Allam, 26, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in a school zone before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone today.

According to information presented in court, on Jan. 29, 2023, Allam was found in possession of a multi-caliber rifle within 1,000 feet of St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School in Beaumont.  Allam also possessed a 30-round magazine and 150 rounds of ammunition.  It is a federal violation to possess firearms within 1,000 feet of a school zone.  

“We are grateful to our Beaumont citizens who were vigilant and looked out for their community by reporting this defendant’s suspicious activity,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.  “We are also grateful to the Beaumont Police Department and its officers who ensured that this defendant was unable to act on whatever it was he had planned.”

Allam was indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 1, 2023.  He faces up to five 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 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case is being investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, Port Arthur Fire Department, and Montgomery County Fire Marshall.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.

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