Nampa Man Sentenced to Prison on Federal Gun Charge

BOISE – Raul Efrain Lopez Jr., 36, of Nampa, was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  Lopez was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.  A federal grand jury indicted Lopez on January 9, 2018.

According to court records, in November 2017, law enforcement stopped Lopez while he was driving in Nampa, Idaho, and arrested him on an outstanding warrant.  Officers could see firearms in the backseat of the car and subsequently located a shotgun, three rifles, a handgun, ammunition, and magazines.  Lopez is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance.

This case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.  The Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.

This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org (link is external).

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.