Bakersfield Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Prison for Firearm Offense

FRESNO, Calif. — Bryson LaPaul Blair, 30, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 21, 2015, while investigating a shooting near an elementary school, Bakersfield police officers located a bullet-ridden vehicle at Blair’s residence that matched the description of one of the vehicles involved in the shooting. During the subsequent execution of a search warrant, officers found a stolen, loaded Russian assault weapon under Blair’s bed and 145 rounds of ammunition. Blair was previously convicted in Kern County of second degree robbery and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.