Felon Pleads Guilty To Hiding Guns Near Federal Courthouse

A Shreveport man who was previously convicted last week of a felony pleaded guilty to possessing three handguns he tried to hide near a federal court house.

The Department of Justice reported 30-year-old Deantre Caldwell pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to the guilty plea, Caldwell was traveling in the front passenger seat of a car that was rear-ended on April 24, 2017 near the intersection of Caddo and Market streets. The two drivers and Caldwell exited the vehicle. Caldwell had one of the drivers retrieve a backpack containing firearms from the front seat of the car he was traveling in, and he hid it in bushes outside of the Tom Stagg Federal Building and U.S. Court House. When officers arrived, a guard on duty at the federal court house informed the officers that he had seen Caldwell move the backpack. Officers found the bag, and it contained a Diamondback, model: DB-15, multi-caliber pistol; a Glock, model: 27GEN4, .40 caliber pistol; and a Glock, model 30GEN4, .45 auto caliber pistol. The drivers said the backpack belonged to Caldwell. The defendant was convicted of illegal use of a weapon on February 21, 2007 in Caddo Parish and was restricted from possessing firearms.

Caldwell faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of April 27, 2018.