East Texan Sentenced in Gun Case

TYLER — A 49-year-old Grand Saline man has been sentenced to serve more than three years in a federal prison for possessing a firearm after having been previously convicted of three felony offenses. Andrew Mark Harris pleaded guilty on January 10 to possessing a .22 caliber pistol loaded with seven bullets after having been convicted of 3 felony crimes. He was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis.

Federal prosecutors say, on April 26, 2012 a Grand Saline police officer stopped Harris for driving a car displaying an expired inspection sticker. The officer arrested Harris for the offense and then conducted a property inventory of the car’s contents. The inventory led to the discovery of the loaded pistol. In 2004 Harris was convicted in federal court for distributing methamphetamine. He also has Debit Card Abuse and Credit Card abuse convictions in Kaufman and Van Zandt Counties, respectively.