Chico Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Ammunition

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alfred David Villasenor, 38, of Chico, was sentenced Wednesday to three years and one month in prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Villasenor was also ordered to pay a $7,000 fine.

According to court documents, on Nov. 20, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a welfare check at Villasenor’s residence. They located Villasenor hiding underneath a blanket on the floor of the master bedroom with a shouldered, loaded non-serialized AR-15 rifle on a bipod. Villasenor had been pointing this rifle at the door officers had used to enter the room. Officers seized approximately 900 rounds of ammunition of various sizes and additional firearms from the home. At that time, Villasenor was subject to a domestic violence restraining order that prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

“Villasenor aimed a loaded, chambered weapon at police officers who were responding to his house to conduct a welfare check for his own safety and that of his family,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Villasenor violated a domestic violence temporary restraining order by acquiring dangerous firearms and ammunition. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and will hopefully deter him from acquiring firearms or ammunition again.”

"This case highlights the concerns the FBI and our law enforcement partners have when entering a building to apprehend a person,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Ragan of the FBI's Sacramento Field Office. “We are grateful that this welfare check did not result in the injury or loss of life of Villasenor or responding Chico Police Department officers. We also thank the department for bringing this case to our attention.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chico Police Department, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Butte County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James R. Conolly and Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.