Parolee-Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Emmanuel John, 25, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 290 months in the Bureau of Prisons after being found guilty by a jury in July of six counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He will serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Between July 2018 and August 2018, John illegally sold eight guns to a confidential informant during six separate controlled buys.  Four of the firearms were reported as stolen.  At the time of the sales, John, a Trip Set gang member, was out on parole for two robbery convictions.  As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.  It had been just 65 days from John’s release on parole until he committed the first of the six offenses of which he was convicted.  Following his arrest on the federal case, John’s parole was revoked and he was sent back to the Nebraska Department of Corrections.  He came into federal custody on March 24, 2020. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Omaha Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhood.  Project Safe Neighborhood is 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.  John’s arrest was also part of Operation South Sudan Soldiers which targeted members of the Trip Set and African Pride street gangs.