U.S. Courthouse

Tom Stagg United States Courthouse

SHREVEPORT, La. — A federal jury has convicted a Georgia man of illegally possessing a firearm after authorities arrested him in central Louisiana while he was wanted on a Georgia warrant.

Caleb Lee Kinsey, 37, of Savannah, Ga., was found guilty Tuesday of being a felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District Zachary Keller.

Kinsey faces up to 15 years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.

According to evidence presented during the trial, Kinsey was already under investigation in Georgia for his suspected involvement in a house explosion that occurred Jan. 13, 2023, in Bryan County. Investigators there said they found evidence linking Kinsey and another person to the explosion.

Six days later, Kinsey approached a police officer in Pollock and asked whether there was a warrant for his arrest, according to prosecutors. After Pollock police confirmed an active Georgia warrant, Kinsey told officers there was a firearm inside his vehicle.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recovered the loaded firearm after obtaining a state search warrant. Authorities determined Kinsey had a prior felony conviction, making it illegal for him to possess a firearm, and he was taken into custody.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said Kinsey also remains under federal indictment in the Southern District of Georgia on charges related to alleged crimes committed there. The release did not provide additional details about those allegations.

The case was investigated by the ATF in coordination with law enforcement agencies in Louisiana and Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Moody and William Gaskins prosecuted the case.