GROVES, Texas — A 46-year-old Groves man will spend 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs announced Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone sentenced Alvaro Montrell Bethea to 180 months in federal prison on Dec. 11, 2025, in the Eastern District of Texas.

On May 10, 2023, law enforcement officers tried to conduct a traffic stop on Bethea due to an active warrant. Court documents show Bethea failed to stop immediately and fled from officers while throwing crack cocaine from his vehicle.

Officers arrested Bethea and later searched his residence, where they discovered a semi-automatic handgun. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Admini

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