Six Shelby County Residents Guilty of Federal Gun/Drug Violations
Posted/updated on: June 25, 2013 at 3:47 pm
BEAUMONT — Six residents of Center have pleaded guilty to gun and drug violations before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith F. Giblin in Beaumont. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 17, 2013 and arrested the following day. Sentencing dates have not been set. They are identified as Lakeva Shillette Hill, a/k/a Sugar Momma, 35, Lester Earl Pitts, 48, Vincent Jermaine Lathan, a/k/a Reed Cartwright, 36, Cornelius Vansharles Gray, 36, Anthony Gene Chumbley, 46 and Andrae Demarkqudell Pegues, a/k/a Mark, 33.
According to information presented in court, from February 2011 to January 2013, Pitts was a certified peace officer employed as a deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. During that time, Pitts associated with Hill, Pegues, Chumbley, and Gray.
In May 2010, Pitts purchased a 9mm semi-automatic pistol which he provided to Pegues even though he knew Pegues was a convicted felon having been convicted of a drug trafficking charge in the Eastern District of Texas in 2000. Convicted felons are prohibited from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition.
On May 9, 2010, Pegues was arrested in possession of the firearm. The next day, Pitts filed a false burglary report with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, stating that the firearm had been stolen from his vehicle. Pitts instructed Pegues to conceal from law enforcement that Pitts had provided the firearm to Pegues. On June 4, 2010, Pegues lied to the ATF about how he obtained the firearm.
On February 26, 2012, Pitts purchased a semi-automatic pistol for Hill although he knew Hill was actively committing drug trafficking crimes and was a convicted felon having been found guilty of distribution of cocaine in Louisiana in 1998.
On July 1, 2012, Pitts provided a .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol to Gray although he knew Gray was actively committing drug trafficking crimes.
On December 31, 2012, Pitts loaned a shotgun to Chumbley, knowing that Chumbley was a convicted felon. Chumbley was convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in Cherokee County, Texas, in 1993; and delivery of a controlled substance in Cherokee County, Texas, in 1990.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Center Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross.
