Escapee Gets Nearly Nine Years in Prison for Felon in Possession of Firearm

SACRAMENTO, CA—U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. sentenced Christopher Lee Lang, 48, of Grass Valley, Thursday, to eight years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Benjamin Wagner announced.

According to court documents, on October 24, 2012, law enforcement attempted to make contact with Lang after observing him commit traffic violations. Lang was apprehended after leading law enforcement on a high speed chase through Nevada County streets and residential neighborhoods. After driving at speeds exceeding 75 mph, Lang failed to negotiate a turn and crashed his vehicle near the front yard of a residence.

According to court documents, Lang initially resisted arrest and then lied to law enforcement, providing a false name and date of birth. Law enforcement patted him down and located a fully loaded semi-automatic handgun in his rear waistband. Subsequent to his arrest, Lang stated he traded a line of methamphetamine in exchange for the firearm. At the time of his arrest, Lang was a fugitive from the state of Nevada. Lang had escaped earlier in 2012 from the Nevada Correctional Facility in Carson City, Nevada.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez prosecuted the case.