BEAUMONT, Texas — A 26-year-old New York man who was found with a gun in his car outside of a Beaumont school in 2023 has been sentenced to federal prison.
Ahmed Allam was sentenced to five years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Crone following a sentencing hearing Tuesday morning in federal court.
He was found with guns in his car outside St. Anthony Cathedral School and Temple Emanuel in Beaumont on January 29, 2023
When he was arrested, police found a semi-automatic rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The day he was arrested, Allam, told a parent that he was on a “mission” and that “no one would ever see him again.”, according to a Eastern District of Texas news release.
Allam wrote that he was planning to murder children and their parents in retaliation for the counter-terrorism work of the United States, the release states.
He had been spotted outside the school for hours at a time on several occasions, according to Beaumont Police.
Allam's lawyer, Ryan Gertz tells 12News his client has been in federal custody since the arrest in January 2023.
Gertz says the outcome of the trial was disappointing and he believes Allam was treated unfairly.
He feels the federal law that bans guns within 1,000 feet of a school zone is too broad.
"To me, the government spent a lot of time and a lot of energy today focusing on what could have happened," Gertz said.
Gertz previously filed a motion to dismiss the federal indictment.
But a federal magistrate judge ordered Allam be held without bond.
On Thursday, August 10, 2023, Allam changed his plea to guilty after originally pleaded to guilty.
On January 29, 2023, Beaumont Police received multiple calls about a suspicious vehicle around St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica School and Temple Emanuel. The callers said a man in a black Toyota Rav 4 with New York license plates was parked across the street and staying there for hours and even days at a time.
BPD officers were able to pull Allam over because of his license plates.
"The stop occurred seeming because of an issue with his license plate. They used the license plate as a reason to arrest him and then based on the arrest they searched his vehicle without a warrant," said Gertz.
12News asked Gertz why Allam was outside the school in the first place.
"I have no idea, and candidly, I don't typically ask my client stuff like that mostly because it's not helpful," he said.
Although Allam did plead guilty to being in possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school zone, Gertz believes there are issues with that federal law.
"If you think about the circumference of 1,000 feet in any given direction we're talking about a quarter mile. So anybody driving by the school that has a gun in their vehicle seemingly could be charged with this offense," he said.
But for educators inside St. Anthony's like Sister Bernadette Nguyen, it's a matter of student safety.
She still gets emotional thinking about that day.
"These students, my children, our children here at St. Anthony's school would not be able to live their life that was my fear," Nguyen said.
Gertz says he plans to appeal the conviction in hopes that Allam can be released.
"He's a citizen of the State of New York and when we treat one group of people differently because of their color, or race, or religion, or whatever that's not acceptable," Gertz said.
The appeal could take anywhere from 6-10 months, according to Gertz.
St. Anthony's says they're grateful for BPD's quick action that day. They plan to honor the department during their annual Mardi Gras gala.