Department of Justice

FRESNO, Calif. — Jessie Gonzalez, 26, of Wasco, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Dec. 22, 2021, law enforcement officers arrested Gonzalez for an active parole violation warrant and found a Polymer 80 handgun in Gonzalez’s waistband, which was loaded with a high-capacity magazine and 16 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. At the time of the offense, Gonzalez, who uses the moniker “Creeper,” was a member of the Varrio Wasco Rifas, a southern criminal street gang in Wasco. Gonzalez may not lawfully possess firearms or ammunition because of criminal convictions he has sustained in Bakersfield, including assault with a firearm on a person and being a prisoner in possession of a weapon.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.

This case is 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.