Vacaville Man Indicted for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Matthew Michael Fraticelli, 39, of Vacaville, charging him with possessing a firearm as a felon, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on September 30, 2018, Vacaville police stopped Fraticelli for various traffic violations. As the officer approached Fraticelli’s car, the officer noticed what he believed to be an ammunition magazine near the driver’s side floorboard. Police searched Fraticelli’s car and located two pistols and a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition. Fraticelli 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 Vacaville 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 the case.

If convicted, Fraticelli faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the district court after considering any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN was reinvigorated in 2017 as part of the Department of Justice’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.