Visalia Felon Indicted for Possessing Safe Full of Firearms

FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Pete Alvarez, 45, of Visalia, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, during an investigation into a shooting, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of Alvarez's residence. There, they located a safe in Alvarez's bedroom with 17 firearms, including several short-barrel firearms without serial numbers that were in the process of being manufactured. Alvarez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions in Fresno County including, assault with a deadly weapon, receiving stolen property, being a felon in possession of a firearm, battery causing serious injury, and assault with a deadly weapon.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fresno Police Department; and the Tulare Police Department are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Alvarez faces a maximum sentence 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.