A 31-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced to federal prison after being convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Adalberto Pena pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has ordered Pena to serve 87 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. During the hearing, the court heard about Pena’s history of possessing firearms as a convicted felon, including four incidents in the 14 months before his arrest. These incidents involved a total of 10 firearms, including a silencer.

An investigation revealed that Pena was possibly involved in selling narcotics and possessing firearms as a felon. On December 22, 2022, law enforcement conducted surveillance at his residence in Corpus Christi.

During this surveillance, authorities observed a vehicle leaving Pena's residence without license plate lights and conducted a traffic stop. Pena informed law enforcement that he did not have identification. A search of his vehicle revealed 9mm and .223 ammunition in the cup holder, along with a Taurus handgun with a loaded magazine in the glove box.

Pena had previously been convicted of a felony for possession of cocaine in 2011, making him prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

Pena will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, which will be determined soon.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Corpus Christi Police Department.