Fresno County Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Guillermo Catzalco, 47, of Firebaugh, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Catzalco was found to be in possession of a Glock-style privately manufactured handgun, an AR-style privately manufactured rifle, a disassembled North American Arms Inc. .22-caliber revolver, extended-capacity firearm magazines, tools consistent with firearm manufacturing, and ammunition of various calibers. Catzalco is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions in Stanislaus County including, assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, burglary, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Firebaugh Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Karp is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Catzalco 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 Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.