TEXARKANA -- A Texarkana man arrested with a cache of firearms after selling a "dead man's" grenade to a confidential source and leading police on a high-speed chase was sentenced Tuesday to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Skip Earnest Ralph Lomax, 33, who appeared before U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey on Tuesday, pleaded guilty to three of six counts listed in a July 2016 federal indictment charging him with drugs and weapons offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Wulff and Federal Public Defender Bruce Eddy disagreed as to whether an enhancement to Lomax's punishment for trafficking weapons was warranted. Eddy argued the law requires that a defendant knew or had reason to believe the sale was unlawful. Wulff pointed out the person to whom Lomax sold the grenade was a convicted felon and that the grenade was not registered as required under federal law.
"This was in the middle of a field next to a chemical plant," Wulff said. "Nobody in their right mind would consider this transaction lawful."
Hickey agreed after hearing testimony from FBI Special Agent Micah Sexton, who testified that Lomax agreed to sell the grenade, which had been altered to detonate the second the pin is pulled, and a machine gun for $1,000.
Hickey sentenced Lomax to 151 months for methamphetamine trafficking and ordered maximum 10-year terms for possession of firearms by a felon and possession of a destructive device. All three sentences will run concurrently.
Shortly before his arrest March 24, 2016, Lomax led members of law enforcement from multiple agencies on a brief chase. Lomax accelerated to speeds of up to 80 mph as he weaved through traffic but lost control of his truck near a church on Arkansas Boulevard. Because of concern that explosives might endanger the public, about 30 people were evacuated from the church.
Inside Lomax's wrecked red pickup, officers discovered a Ruger .380-caliber pistol, a Colt Police Positive .32-caliber revolver, a Ruger .38-caliber revolver, another ".38 special" revolver of unidentified origin, a Taurus Millennium G2 .40-caliber pistol and a revolver with its serial number removed.
Charges of possession of Eephedrine with the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine and fleeing in a vehicle are pending against Lomax in state court in Miller County. He is scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones on those charges Oct. 3.
State Desk on 08/26/2017