Fresno Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 12, 2012 charging Jalaam Paggett, 29, of Fresno, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. The indictment was unsealed today after his arrest.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department as part of the Project SAFE Neighborhoods initiative in which local, state and federal law enforcement join forces to combat gun and gang violence. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly A. Sanchez is prosecuting the case.

According to the indictment, on December 16, 2011, Paggett was in possession of a 9 mm handgun after having been convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance and infliction of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant. Paggett was arraigned today and pleaded not guilty. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing on January 23, 2012.

If convicted, Paggett faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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 and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.