Convicted Felon Arrested and Charged After Being Found with Defaced 9mm Handgun, Ammunition, and Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Device

HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced today that Chris Pham, 21, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A detention hearing in federal court is scheduled for March 20, 2025.

According to court documents, on March 12, 2025, law enforcement encountered Pham and found he was carrying a fully loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number. Pham was also carrying an additional magazine with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a search of Pham’s residence, law enforcement recovered a machine gun conversion device designed to turn a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun. Law enforcement previously located an Instagram video showing Pham firing a fully automatic handgun into the air in public.

If convicted of the charged offense, Pham faces up to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Honolulu Police Department.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).