Project Safe Neighborhoods News, May 30, 2023

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence. At the core of PSN is setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces the following actions in federal PSN cases.

Guilty Pleas

Eric Terrell Christian, 31, of Vacaville, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Aug. 11, 2022, Christian was arrested for a parole violation and found to be in possession of a Glock handgun with a round in the chamber and another 17 rounds in a high-capacity magazine. In an apartment to which Christian had access, officers found a Palmetto Arms pistol with a round in the chamber and 36 rounds in an inserted, 40-round magazine. Christian is not allowed to possess firearms because he has previously been convicted of three felony offenses, including two convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, and was on parole when he committed the current offense. Christian is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Aug. 28, 2023. Christian faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Division of Adult Parole Operations, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Gabriel Joseph Detrant, 49, of Redding, pleaded guilty on May 18, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Feb. 2, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Detrant was driving in Redding. Detrant stopped the vehicle, and he and a passenger fled on foot. The officers found a Baikal Makarov, Model IJ-70 9 mm handgun loaded with eight rounds by the driver’s seat. Officers later found Detrant hiding nearby in possession of a magazine loaded with eight 9 mm rounds. Detrant is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2018 conviction in Shasta County for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Detrant is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Detrant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, the Redding Police Department, and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.

The actual sentences, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Sentencings

Kevin Lester Wise, 68, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced on May 9, 2023, to two and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on July 22, 2020, Wise was found to be in possession of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. Wise had previously attempted to unlawfully import another silencer from China. In 1990, Wise was convicted in Sacramento County for unlawful assault by an officer while he was serving as a deputy sheriff. In 2013, Wise was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of California for a being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Wise is prohibited from owning firearms, including silencers. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.

Derick Louangamath, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced on April 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle that Louangamath was driving and found a Glock 26, along with loaded 10-round, 15-round, and 33-round magazines. Louangamath has several prior felony convictions, including convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp prosecuted the case.

These cases are 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.