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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