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Press Release

Two Stockton Men Indicted On Firearms Charges

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned two indictments this week charging Stockton residents Somnang Chea, 34, with being a felon in possession of ammunition and Phirum Phin, 30, with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Stockton Police officers arrested Chea and Phin after they ran following an attempted a traffic stop.  Court documents allege that Chea possessed a fully automatic handgun with a laser sight and a high-capacity magazine with 22 rounds of ammunition, and that Phin possessed a stolen Glock handgun with a laser sight and high-capacity magazine.

Chea and Phin have previously been convicted of felonies and are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron L. Desmond is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Chea and Phin each face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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 arepresumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.

Updated June 29, 2018

Topics
Firearms Offenses
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Press Release Number: 2:18-cr-123-KJM & 2:18-cr-124-MCE