Project Safe Neighborhoods Cases: Indictments, Guilty Pleas, and a Sentencing Further Efforts to Reduce Violent Crime

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announces recent cases in the Eastern District of California that were brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) federal initiative. PSN brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement to combat gun and gang crime. At the core of PSN is increased federal prosecution to incapacitate chronic violent offenders as well as to communicate a credible deterrent threat to potential gun offenders.

Two recent indictments

Ulises Muro-Robles, 38, of Stockton, was indicted on March 23, 2023, and charged with possession with intent to distribute at least 1 kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 10, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to a 911 call and found Muro-Robles to be in possession of 5.1 kilograms of heroin, 280 grams of cocaine, over $50,000 in cash, and a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Muro-Robles has several prior felony convictions including assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, the San Joaquin County Metropolitan Task Force (METRO), the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.

Arnes Krajinic, 32, of Roseville, was indicted on March 16, 2023, and charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, in January 2023, Krajinic arranged to sell fentanyl to an undercover law enforcement officer and arrived at the predetermined location, in possession of an assembled weapon lacking a serial number (known as a ghost gun) that was loaded with six rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Krajinic is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has five prior felony convictions, including for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance for sale, and possession of a controlled substance while armed.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service; the ATF; the Placer County Special Investigations Unit; and the Roseville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition, Krajinic faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of the drug offenses, Robles faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, Robles faces a maximum sentence of 15 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.

A Project Safe Neighborhoods defendant sentenced

Jaime Alvarez, 52, of Vallejo, was sentenced on March 21, 2023, to 21 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in October 2021, two different victims—both of whom were members of a different motorcycle club that is considered a “puppet” (or subordinate) club of the Vallejo chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club —were beaten by Alvarez and other club members based on perceived infractions of the Hells Angels’ rules. On Dec. 8, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Alvarez’s home as part of the investigation into the brutal beating and found several firearms, including a Glock 27 .40 SW caliber handgun. Alvarez has prior felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Vallejo Police Department, the FBI,  and the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron D. Pennekamp and Jason Hitt prosecuted the case.

The following two guilty pleas are part of Operation No Fly Zone, a multi-agency, months-long investigation that sought to address a rise in the number of shootings and homicides in Fresno.

Reginald Keith Cannon Jr., 24, of Fresno, pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on March 22, 2022, officers observed Cannon at the Fashion Fair Mall and were aware he was on active probation. Upon being searched, officers located a Glock semi-automatic handgun with a large-capacity magazine in his pants. Cannon has prior felony convictions involving firearms offenses and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Donald Ray Phelps Jr., 29, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to court documents, on March 18, 2022, officers learned about the presence of a firearm inside a car in which Phelps was a passenger. During a search of the car, they found a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic handgun with no serial number (known as a ghost gun) under the seat where Phelps had been sitting. Phelps has a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to commit pandering in Orange County and is prohibited from possessing ammunition.

These two cases are the product of an investigation by the FBI, HSI, ATF, the Fresno Police Department, the Fresno-area Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC), the California Department of Justice Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Justice Human Trafficking / Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, the California Highway Patrol, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the cases. Phelps is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2023. Cannon is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, 2023. They each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will 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 cases in this press release 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 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.