News and Press Releases
Project Exile Minneapolis Felon Sentenced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS—Yesterday in federal court, a 36-year-old from Minneapolis was sentenced for possessing a .25-caliber, semi-automatic pistol. United States District Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced Reginald Allen Schwab, also known as Snake, to 85 months in prison on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Schwab, who was indicted on December 14, 2010, pleaded guilty on April 19, 2011.
In his plea agreement, Schwab admitted possessing the pistol. According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, Minneapolis police were called to the intersection of 27th Avenue North and Newtown Avenue North at 10:30 p.m. on July 16, 2010. The caller reported seeing a man firing a gun into the air in that vicinity. Upon arriving on the scene, police arrested Schwab.
Because he is a felon, Scwab is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Schwab’s prior convictions include fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance (1996), first-degree manslaughter (1997), second-degree attempted assault (2003), and felon in possession of a firearm (2004).
This case was the result of an investigation by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Violent Crime Impact Team for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”). It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deidre Y. Aanstad and Andrew R. Winter.
The case was charged federally through Project Exile Minneapolis. That law enforcement initiative was launched on July 22, 2010, as part of a City-wide effort to reduce gun violence. Through Project Exile, the Minneapolis Police Department and the ATF work together to apprehend serial criminals for violations of gun laws. Then, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office teams up with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to determine where those offenders will most effectively be prosecuted—state or federal court. Those determinations are based on the offenders’ criminal histories and current charges, among other factors. To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has brought charges against more than a dozen serious habitual criminals through Project Exile Minneapolis.
