Oahu Man Indicted For Firearms Violation

HONOLULU - A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Brian Ancho, age 35, with two counts of being an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance and a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Count 1 of the indictment alleges that Ancho, an Oahu resident, possessed a Charter Arms Corporation revolver, and Count 2 alleges possession of a Beretta pistol, both on March 13, 2014.

Florence T. Nakakuni, Untied States Attorney for the District of Hawaii, said that according to allegations contained in a criminal complaint previously filed in court, Ancho was approached by two Honolulu Police Department Crime Reduction Unit officers on March 13, 2014. After the officers identified themselves, Ancho attempted to run away from the officers but was apprehended and arrested. Thereafter, officers conducted a pat-down search of Ancho’s waistband and discovered that Ancho had a Charter Arms Corporation revolver in his waistband. Law enforcement officers later that day recovered a Beretta pistol during a search of a vehicle driven by Ancho.

If convicted, Ancho faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. The charges in the indictment, as well as the information contained in the criminal complaint, are merely accusations, and the Defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Defendant is being prosecuted as part of the Honolulu Violent Incident Crime Task Force/ Frontline Initiative, a collaborative effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors and communities to prevent, deter, and prosecute gun crime. The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Honolulu Police Department, with cooperation from the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar.