Delano Resident Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm

FRESNO, Calif. — Christopher Howard, 33, a Delano resident, was sentenced Tuesday to 57 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in the evening of April 28, 2021, police officers encountered Howard in Delano while he was carrying a bag that contained a loaded 9mm caliber handgun and an additional loaded high-capacity magazine. Howard cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has sustained numerous felony convictions, including for possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, escape, and twice for second degree burglary.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Delano Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.

This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.