THREE FRESNO MEN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGAL FIREARMS POSSESSION AND 3 MORE PLEAD GUILTY
FRESNO, Calif. – In separate cases today, United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill sentenced Raymond Graham, 26, to nine years and six months in prison; Hector Gonzalez, 19, to 10 months in prison; and Charles Garrett, 24, to two years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm, and three others pleaded guilty to illegal firearms possession, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. All defendants are Fresno residents.
These cases are the product of investigations by the ATF, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Fresno Police Department. They are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative under which local, state and federal law enforcement agencies join forces to combat gang and gun violence.
A jury found Raymond Graham guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm that was not registered in the National Firearms Registry. At trial, evidence was introduced showing that on August 20, 2010, U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force members assisted state parole officers in arresting Graham, who was a wanted parolee. They searched the apartment on 4025 N. Fruit and found a Marlin .22-caliber rifle with a barrel length less than 16" and an obliterated serial number. They also found 92 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. According to court documents, Graham has prior convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of, manufacturing, and selling a dangerous weapon, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on December 10, 2011, Hector Gonzalez was an illegal alien in possession a loaded .22-caliber gun. He was a passenger in a car that was the subject of a traffic stop by Fresno Police. An officer discovered the gun during a pat-down search. After being advised of his rights, Gonzalez said he was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, and that he had not pursued citizenship in the United States.
Charles Garrett was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on the evening of October 11, 2011, an officer of the Fresno Police Department was on patrol and stopped a male riding a bike without proper lighting. In doing so, the officer noticed an individual, later identified as Garrett, hiding in the bushes. The officer saw him throw a metal object on the ground and begin to walk away. The officer and her partner gave chase and apprehended Garrett. Upon returning to the point where Garrett had been hiding in the bushes, the officer found a loaded Beretta USA, Model 96, .40-caliber pistol. Garrett has a prior felony conviction for being a felon.
Robert Sanchez, 24, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 6, 2012, Robert Sanchez was in Fresno and a parolee at large. Officers who knew he was wanted arrested Sanchez. They searched him and found a bullet in his pants pocket. Sanchez has prior felony convictions for possession, manufacture, and sale of a dangerous weapon, and burglary. Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill on October 1, 2012
Darryl Bradley, 33, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on December 11, 2011, a Fresno police officer conducted a traffic stop on a van driven by Bradley, who was on parole and had a suspended license. Officers found a .22-caliber rifle and a box of .22-caliber ammunition in the van. He admitted that the firearm was his. Bradley has prior felony convictions for selling or furnishing marijuana; burglary; grand theft; and possession of a controlled substance. Bradley is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on September 17, 2012.
Vincent Salinas, 32, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registry. According to court documents, on January 20, 2012, Salinas was in possession of a sawed-off Savage shotgun. Salinas has prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance, assault with a deadly weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Salinas had purchased the firearm about a year before his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on September 17, 2012.
The maximum penalty for the offense of felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
###