Las Vegas Felon Sentenced For Unlawful Possession Of A Loaded Firearm And Drug Possession With Intent To Distribute

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man with prior felony convictions was sentenced Thursday to three years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

According to court documents, on August 11, 2020, law enforcement conducted a compliance check on Eddie Joe Perez, 34, who was staying at a hotel in Downtown Las Vegas. During the check, officers located a loaded 9mm handgun, a scale with methamphetamine residue, and over eight grams of methamphetamine. Perez is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions in Nevada and Hawaii.

Perez pleaded guilty in July 2021 to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Richard F. Boulware II sentenced Perez to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Aaron C. Rouse for the FBI made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Nevada Department of Public Safety Division of Parole and Probation, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.

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