Sacramento Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Gun

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned indictment today against John Damian, 30, of Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2023, Damian was detained by law enforcement during execution of a search warrant. During the search, detectives located a loaded Glock 27 .40‑caliber semi-automatic firearm in his sweatshirt pocket. Damian is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions for assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, and negligent discharge of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Damian faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.