Curtis Wayne Rodgers, a 41-year-old resident of Irving, Texas, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison on Wednesday, November 8th, after being found guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Rodgers, indicted in August 2022, entered a guilty plea in June 2023, leading to his sentencing by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown. The sentence was imposed under the Armed Career Criminal Act, given Rodgers' extensive criminal history, which included thirteen prior felony convictions, including three violent crimes and/or serious drug offenses.
The case unfolded in June 2022 when Irving Police Department officers identified Rodgers as a suspect in a potential burglary and aggravated assault in an Irving neighborhood. Witnesses reported that Rodgers forcibly entered a residence, brandishing a firearm and interrogating neighbors about the homeowner's whereabouts. He then pointed the gun at a neighbor, instructing him not to call anyone and to go inside his home.
Surveillance footage from a neighbor's system captured Rodgers fleeing the scene in a black Ford F-150. Subsequent to obtaining a search warrant for Rodgers' residence and vehicles, law enforcement located the firearm used in the incident.
A comprehensive examination of Rodgers' criminal history exposed his status as a repeat offender, rendering it a federal offense for him to possess a firearm or ammunition. The investigation was conducted collaboratively by the Irving Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Niedermair prosecuting the case.
