Jasper County man indicted on federal firearms charge

File Photo: Kenneth Mitchell Woods

A Jasper County man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on a firearms charge, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

Kenneth Mitchell Woods, 28, of Jasper, was charged this week with felon in possession of a firearm, a federal offense. If convicted, Woods faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, officials said.

The indictment was returned in the Eastern District of Texas and announced by U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.

Federal officials said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at combating violent crime, transnational criminal organizations, and illegal firearms possession.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in partnership with the Jasper Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James.

A federal indictment is not a determination of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.