A federal jury has convicted Keith Harris, 24, of Sherwood for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The verdict was reached after a two-day trial and about two hours of jury deliberation. Harris will remain in federal custody until his sentencing by United States District Court Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 8, 2023, on one count related to the firearm possession charge.
The evidence presented during the trial indicated that on October 26, 2022, Little Rock Police conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Challenger for speeding. Officers found that Harris, who was riding as a passenger, was on active parole and had signed a search waiver. Law enforcement officers searched Harris and the area where he was seated in the vehicle and discovered a Glock model 22 .40 caliber handgun under his seat.
In 2019, Harris was convicted in Arkansas state court for being a felon in possession of a firearm following an incident at a North Little Rock gas station that led to the murder of a U.S. Air Force airman during an armed robbery. At age 18, Harris was initially arrested for capital murder and aggravated robbery but later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge after police identified him as one of four people involved. He served five years with the Arkansas Department of Corrections and was paroled in October 2021. Additionally, Harris had previous convictions as an adult for two counts of theft of property by threat of serious physical injury stemming from an incident in 2016.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation with help from the Little Rock Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Eldridge and Amanda Fields prosecuted the case.
“
