Omaha man granted presidential clemency convicted again: felon in possession of a firearm (DOJ)

United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Khyre Holbert, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 3, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Holbert to 109 months' imprisonment on the felon in possession charge and 46 months for violating his supervised release of a prior federal conviction, for a total of 155 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After Holbert is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

On October 4, 2025, at 0134 hours, an Omaha Police officer was patrolling The Old Market when he was alerted to a "person with a gun" located "up the street". The officer exited his cruiser at which time he heard a single gunshot. A short time later, officers located Victim 1 who was suffering from a gunshot wound to his right hip. A description of the shooter was provided along with his path of travel. Officers located an individual matching the suspect's description near 13th and Farnam streets, identifying him as Holbert.

Officers canvassed the area and located a single spent 9mm casing stamped "Aguila 9mm luger" at 12th and Howard streets. Officers canvassed the path of Holbert's travel and located a discarded firearm directly in front of 1210 Howard Street. The firearm was located underneath a black Chevrolet SUV and identified as a Glock 43x 9mm handgun. The firearm was equipped with an extended high-capacity magazine that contained several rounds of "Aguila 9mm luger" live ammunition.

Officers reviewed video surveillance footage and noted Holbert appeared at approximately 0136 hours walking north on South 13th Street. During this time, Holbert appeared to observe a marked police cruiser at which time he began running north out of the camera view toward the Gene Leahy Mall. At 0150 hours, Holbert can be seen returning to the north facing entrance of an area hotel. Holbert remained in this area until he was taken into custody.

Officers obtained additional video surveillance from area businesses. The videos show Victim 1 and Holbert engaged in a verbal altercation on the corner of 13th and Howard streets. Holbert can be seen clutching his waistband repeatedly, as if concealing an item hidden underneath his clothing. Holbert and the victim then walk out of camera view to the southwest before a single gunshot is heard on the video. Holbert is then seen running east on Howard Street out of the camera view. The path of travel for Holbert was also noted to be the path where the firearm was located by officers.

The spent 9mm casing stamped "Aguila 9mm luger" recovered on scene was determined to have been fired from the recovered Glock Model 43X 9mm firearm. Two fingerprints were recovered from the firearm's internal magazine. A senior forensic technician with the Omaha Police Forensic Investigations Unit identified the fingerprints as belonging to Holbert.

Holbert has multiple prior felony convictions for Carrying a Concealed Weapon -2^nd offense, possession of a firearm by felon, both in the District Court for Douglas County, Nebraska.

Holbert was arrested in 2017 as part of Operation Brass Catcher, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives-led operation targeting Crips gang members. Holbert was indicted on 10 counts, including four counts of distributing crack cocaine, three counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Holbert pleaded guilty to several counts and was sentenced to 240 months' custody in the Bureau of Prisons.

On January 21, 2025, Holbert, along with several thousand inmates, was granted Executive Clemency by the Biden administration and released after serving just 100 months of his original 240-month sentence.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Omaha Police Department.