Three Indicted for Firearms Offenses in Sacramento and Solano County

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As part the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California’s strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on firearms prosecutions, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced that a federal grand jury returned indictments today in the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.

Jedidiah Nathaniel Smith, 40, of Fairfield, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on December 5, 2018, police officers stopped a car with an expired registration that Smith was traveling in. After their initial contact with Smith, they learned that he was carrying a loaded revolver in his waistband. Smith cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an investigation by the Suisun City Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.

Jesus Aguilar Jr., 34, of Fairfield, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on November 19, 2018, police officers responded to emergency calls reporting that a man was trying to open motorists’ doors while the cars were stopped at an intersection. After the officers arrived on scene and tried to contact Aguilar, he discarded the handgun and was arrested moments later. Aguilar cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an investigation by the Suisun City Police Department with assistance from the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Solano County District Attorney’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Delgado is prosecuting these two cases.

Nassir Michaels, 39, of Reno, Nevada, is charged with one count of unlawful dealing in firearms and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, between September 16, 2018, and October 12, 2108, Michaels engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without having an appropriate license. The firearms involved in the charged transactions included three assault rifles, one of which was capable of accepting a high-capacity magazine. Michaels is prohibited from lawfully possessing a firearm because he has previously been convicted of a felony offense. This case is the product of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento and Las Vegas Divisions, Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Special Services Unit (SSU) and the California Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza Rabenn is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty for the felon in possession of a firearm charge of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the unlawful dealing in firearms charge, Michaels faces a maximum sentence of five 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 defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.