Saturday, June 16, 2012

Wanted Gideon Defendant Arrested After Chase


RICHMOND, Calif. – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), San Francisco Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey E. Vind announced Daniel Barnett was arrested Tuesday in Richmond, Calif. on a federal warrant for previously selling illegal drugs to an undercover agent.

Barnett, age 25, a resident of El Sobrante, Calif. is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine according to a grand jury indictment filed in the Northern Judicial District of California. Barnett was apprehended by ATF agents and officers from the Richmond Police Department after a vehicle and a foot pursuit. Barnett is a federal defendant under Operation Gideon III. He appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Oakland, Calif., for his initial appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Westmore.

Operation Gideon III, is an ATF multi-pronged initiative designed to target and remove violent offenders and to dismantle criminal organizations and robbery crews operating in Oakland. Some of the most experienced undercover special agents were deployed to team up with local ATF special agents and officers from the Oakland Police Department to conduct organized, covert enforcement operations for a four-month period to aggressively combat violent crime perpetrated by career criminals.

As a result of Operation Gideon III, 60 suspects have been charged by complaint or indictment federally; one defendant has pled guilty already. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 92 firearms, along with approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of marijuana, one kilogram of heroin and a half kilogram of crack cocaine.

A grand jury indictment is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation was conducted by the ATF and Richmond Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Scoble.

ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating violent crime and firearm trafficking violations. More information on ATF can be found at www.atf.gov.

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