Stockton Man Is Sentenced For Conspiring To Rob "Stash House"

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Snangehk Peou, 25, of Stockton, was sentenced on May 1, 2014, by United States District Judge Morrison C. England, Jr. to five years and 11 months in prison for conspiring to commit a robbery affecting interstate commerce, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Peou agreed to be a participant in the robbery of a “stash house”—a residence in Stockton where he and other members of the conspiracy believed that individuals were holding a large quantity of cocaine.

Peou’s conviction was the result of an investigation by Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Hemesath prosecuted the case.

Peou’s alleged co-conspirators are awaiting further court proceedings.  The charges against these defendants are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is the product of “Operation Gideon IV,” an ATF initiative targeting violent criminals and criminal organizations operating in Stockton. Experienced undercover ATF special agents from throughout the U.S. were deployed with local ATF agents and Stockton police officers to conduct covert investigations into some of the most violent criminals in Stockton and surrounding areas. As a result of this partnership, 52 federal defendants were charged and 19 state prosecutions. The operation also resulted in the seizure of 84 firearms, 36 pounds of methamphetamine, and 21 pounds of marijuana.