Two individuals, Decorian Lynndale Titus, 19, and Damon Gentry, 23, were sentenced today to a total of 39 years in federal prison for assaulting an ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives) agent and another individual during an undercover operation. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton.
Titus and Gentry faced charges following a criminal complaint in May 2023 and were indicted in June 2023. Both defendants pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count each of assaulting certain officers, brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor sentenced Titus to 324 months and Gentry to 144 months in federal prison.
Court documents revealed that on May 18, 2023, an undercover ATF agent engaged with Titus and Gentry for the purchase of marijuana and guns. During the meeting, the defendants brandished their firearms, demanding the agent's firearm and money. Titus took the agent's gun and money, instructing him to lay on the ground while threatening to shoot another individual present.
Following the incident, Titus and Gentry fled the scene. As they were leaving, Titus pointed firearms in both hands at plain-clothed (but marked) officers outside. In response, agents fired on Titus, hitting him. He dropped one pistol and fired a shot before being arrested on the same day. Gentry, who initially evaded capture, was later apprehended.
The investigation involved collaboration among the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Texas Rangers, Fort Worth Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety.