Richmond Man Indicted; 2 San Francisco Men and Watsonville Man Convicted of Being Felons in Possession of Firearms or Ammunition
OAKLAND; SAN JOSE; SAN FRANCISCO – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – United States Attorney Kevin V. Ryan announced that as part of the ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods program, three individuals have been convicted, and another has been indicted on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
A federal jury convicted Andre Glaser, 26, of San Francisco, yesterday afternoon of being a felon in possession of ammunition. In a separate case, a federal grand jury in Oakland indicted Vincent Jones, a/k/a V.I., 20, of Richmond, California, on February 23, 2006, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition, Armand John Valle, 31, of Watsonville, California, pleaded guilty yesterday afternoon to possession of ammunition by a felon. Finally, John Franklin, 26, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 27, 2006.
U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan stated, “These prosecutions are an example of our continuing effort to reduce gun-related violence by cracking down on convicted felons who illegally possess firearms or ammunition. We will continue to work closely with our partners at the ATF and local police departments to take dangerous criminals off the streets.”
These prosecutions are part of an ongoing effort by the United States Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, under the federal Project Safe Neighborhoods program, to assist local law enforcement to in an effort to decrease firearm-related violence by cracking down on those who possess firearms or ammunition in violation of federal law.
Andre Glaser Conviction:
Evidence at trial showed that Mr.Glaser, a convicted felon, knowingly possessed ammunition. On December 31, 2004, San Francisco Gang Task Force Officers, seeking to curb celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve, saw Mr. Glaser handle what appeared to be a firearm. After a pursuit during which Mr. Glaser tossed a loaded ammunition clip from his person, Mr. Glaser was caught and taken into custody.
Mr. Glaser was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 15, 2005. He was charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The sentencing of Mr. Glaser is scheduled for June 6, 2006, before Judge William H. Alsup in San Francisco.
Nahla Rajan is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Ponly Tu. The prosecution is the result of a referral from the San Francisco Police Department to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives.
Vincent Jones Indictment:
According to the indictment, Mr. Jones is alleged to have knowingly possessed a Colt model M1191A1 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol on October 1, 2005, in the Northern District of California, after having been convicted of a felony crime.
A no bail warrant was issued by Magistrate Wayne D. Brazil on February 23, 2006, for Mr. Jones’ arrest. He is currently in state custody and there has been no date set for his appearance in federal court.
An indictment contains only allegations against an individual and, as with all defendants, Mr. Jones must be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
James Keller is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mae Chu. The prosecution is the result of a four-month investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Richmond Police Department, and the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office.
Armand John Valle Guilty Plea:
Mr. Valle, 31, of Watsonville, was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 5, 2005. He was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Under the plea agreement, Mr. Valle pleaded guilty to the charge and also agreed to forfeit the ammunition he possessed.
In pleading guilty, Mr. Valle admitted that he was convicted in 1996 of a felony, assault with a deadly weapon, in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, and that he was on probation at the time he committed the current offense. As for the new offense, Mr. Valle admitted that on September 1, 2005, he was found by officers of the Watsonville Police Department to be in possession of one round of 12 gauge shotgun ammunition and 14 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition.
According to a complaint filed in the case, Watsonville Police Officers were dispatched to an apartment following a domestic battery complaint by Valle’s girlfriend. Officers in route to the scene saw Valle in a car and pulled the car over. The officers saw a shotgun in the car and arrested the occupants. Valle was found with ammunition in his pockets.
Valle is being held without bail. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2006, before Judge James Ware in San Jose.
David Callaway is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Tracey Andersen. This guilty plea is the result of a referral from the Watsonville Police Department to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives.
John Franklin Guilty Plea:
John Franklin, 26, of San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2005. He was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Mr. Franklin entered an open plea to the charge on February 27, 2006.
In pleading guilty, Mr. Franklin admitted that he was convicted in 2003 of a felony, inflicting corporal injury upon a spouse or co-habitant, in San Francisco County Superior Court. As for the new offense, Mr. Franklin admitted that on August 2, 2005, he was found by officers of the San Francisco Police Department to be in possession of one loaded .22 caliber handgun.
According to a complaint filed in the case, San Francisco Police Officers observed Mr. Franklin involved in a narcotics transaction in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco. When the officers attempted to apprehend Mr. Franklin, he ran. During the pursuit, he dropped a handgun near the front end of a parked pick-up. He later confessed to having the gun in his hands when first spotted by the officers.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2006, before Judge Marilyn Hall Patel in San Francisco.
Nahla Rajan is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Ponly Tu. This guilty plea is the result of a referral from the San Francisco Police Department to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives.
Maximum Penalty:
The maximum statutory penalty for being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) is 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Further Information:
A copy of this press release may be found on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website at www.usdoj.gov/usao/can.
Electronic court filings and further procedural and docket information are available at https://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.plhttps://ecf.cand.uscourts.gov/.
Judges’ calendars with schedules for upcoming court hearings can be viewed on the court’s website at www.cand.uscourts.gov.
All press inquiries to the U.S. Attorney’s Office should be directed to Luke Macaulay at (415) 436-6757 or by email at Luke.Macaulay@usdoj.gov.
