Five Indicted for Firearms Offenses in Sacramento, Fairfield, Stockton, and Fresno

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 has returned indictments in the following cases involving illegal firearms offenses.

Andre Parker, 54, of Sacramento, was charged today with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 29, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle in which Parker was riding and found a Springfield XD .45-caliber handgun underneath Parker’s seat. Parker has several prior felony convictions—including prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.

Derick Louangamath, 30, of Sacramento, was charged today with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 23, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle that Louangamath was driving and found a Glock 26, along with loaded 10-, 15-, and 33-round magazines. Louangamath has several prior felony convictions—including prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, the Sacramento Police Department, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.

Hack Townsend Culling Jr., 27, of Fairfield, was charged on Feb. 6 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in April 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Culling for various traffic violations. The officers searched Culling and his motorcycle based on Culling’s status on post-release community supervision and found a .25-caliber pistol in one of the saddle bags on Culling’s motorcycle. Culling cannot lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because he has previously been convicted of six felony offenses, five of the convictions are domestic violence offenses. This case is the product of an investigation by the Fairfield 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.

Gabriel Mata, 25, of Fresno, was charged on Feb. 6 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Jan. 19, law enforcement officers discovered that Mata possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P, .40-caliber, semi-automatic pistol. Mata has three prior felony convictions—including one prior felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm conviction—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Yim is prosecuting the case.

Lawrence Macken, 42, of Stockton, was charged on Jan. 24 with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Dec. 12, 2019, law enforcement officers stopped Macken’s vehicle and found a Bersa Firestorm .380 semi-automatic handgun in the dash compartment near the driver’s seat. Macken has numerous prior felony convictions—including two felon-in-possession-of-a-firearm convictions, two assault convictions, and multiple vehicle-theft convictions—which prohibit him from possessing a firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Pennekamp is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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.

These cases are 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. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’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. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

The cases are also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see www.justice.gov/projectguardian.