Fresno, California - A federal grand jury has returned separate indictments against Mikkey Santos, 18; Tyrone Smith, 19; Javier Lamadrid, 33; Humberto Garcia, 23; and Michael Johnson, 35, all of Fresno; and Samuel Zaragoza-Villanueva, 37, of Mexico, for violating federal firearm laws, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced Friday.
The indictments resulted from joint investigations by the Fresno Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a joint initiative to combat gang and gun violence. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez. Samuel Zaragoza-Villanueva was charged with being an alien in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on February 26, 2015, members of the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) conducted a search at the defendant’s residence and seized ammunition. The government alleges that the defendant is a citizen and native of Mexico, and is unlawfully present in the United States.
Mikkey Santos was charged with possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, on February 12, 2015, Fresno Police Department officers served a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment in Fresno. An unregistered rifle, with a barrel length of less than 16 inches and an overall length less than 26 inches, was recovered during the search.
Tyrone Smith was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 16, 2015, Fresno Police Department officers attempted to stop a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. The vehicle fled at high speed and officers pursued it. The defendant threw a handgun out of the window during the pursuit, and was ultimately apprehended.
Javier LaMadrid was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 4, 2015 Fresno Police Department officers made a traffic stop on a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. A small child and another adult female were also in the car. Police found a loaded handgun between the passenger-side door and the passenger seat where the defendant was seated.
Humberto Garcia was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 21, 2015, the defendant was in possession of a shotgun. The defendant has multiple prior felony convictions.
Michael Johnson was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 19, 2015, the defendant was in possession of a Glock, .40 caliber firearm. The defendant has multiple prior felony convictions.
“ATF remains committed to working with Fresno Police Department and our other federal partners to combat gun violence and remove violent offenders from the streets of Fresno,” said Joseph M. Riehl, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF San Francisco Field Division. “Project Safe Neighborhoods is one way that ATF agents are working to remove guns from the hands of convicted felons and violent criminals.”
If convicted, the defendants face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine (except for Santos, who faces up to a $10,000 fine), and three years of supervised release. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
