Fresno Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Gun

FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Shawn Darnyel Matthews, 23, of Fresno, today to two years and eight months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2020, law enforcement officers arrested Matthews on several felony warrants as well as a parole warrant. During the arrest, Matthews was found to be in possession of a firearm. Matthews is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a June 2017 felony conviction for assault with a firearm. He was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty on Feb. 19, 2021.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca 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 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.