Sacramento Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Cornelius Houston, 34, of Elk Grove, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 15, 2025, Houston was found in possession of a loaded Glock handgun. On Oct. 7, he was found in possession of another Glock handgun. Houston is prohibited from possessing ammunition or firearms based on his prior felony convictions for robbery and transportation, sale, or distribution of a controlled substance.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Ng is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Houston 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.

This case is also part of the Special Assistant United States Attorney program, a partnership between the United States Attorney's Office and local District Attorney's Offices. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys remain employed by local District Attorney's Offices, but they work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court. This partnership allows the United States Attorney's Office and local District Attorney's Offices to partner to fight transnational organized crime and violent crime that impacts the region. The U.S. Attorney's Office currently has Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the District Attorney's Offices of Yolo, Placer, Fresno, and Sacramento Counties.