A Houston resident, Chase Langston Wiatt, was sentenced on Mar. 18 to 92 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Wiatt pleaded guilty on Sept. 25, 2025. The case highlights the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting felons from possessing firearms and underscores ongoing efforts by authorities to address gun-related offenses.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered that Wiatt serve his sentence followed by three years of supervised release. During the sentencing hearing, the court reviewed Wiatt’s prior convictions and arrests involving firearms and noted his extensive criminal history and previous violence.
The charges stemmed from an incident on Oct. 28, 2021, when law enforcement responded to a report of an unconscious driver in a vehicle with the engine running. Officers found Wiatt unresponsive in the driver’s seat with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech; he admitted to consuming a cannabis edible before driving. A search revealed two pistols inside the vehicle—one between the driver’s seat and center console and another on the passenger seat. Investigators determined that Wiatt had prior felony convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, escape, and credit card abuse, making him legally prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
Wiatt remains in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility yet to be determined. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with help from Houston Police Department; Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has included notable figures such as Alamdar Hamdani and Ryan Patrick among its former leaders according to the official history page. The office operates in several cities including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen and Brownsville as described on its official website. It is part of the U.S. Department of Justice under the Attorney General according to its official website.
The office employs more than 200 attorneys covering 43 counties with a population exceeding nine million as detailed on its official website, focusing on prosecuting federal crimes and handling civil cases for the government according to its official website. Alamdar Hamdani served as one of its leaders from 2022 to 2025 as noted on its official history page.
