Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

BOISE – Anthony Allen Bernal, 28, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.  A federal grand jury indicted Bernal on September 14, 2017.  The indictment alleged that Bernal possessed a firearm after previously being convicted of a felony crime.

According to court records, in June 2017, law enforcement was searching for Bernal due to a failure to appear warrant on an unrelated state case.  An officer observed Bernal in the passenger seat of a vehicle driving in Nampa.  The officer stopped the vehicle and arrested Bernal.  Inside, where Bernal had been seated, officers located a 9mm caliber pistol and a .45 caliber pistol.

Sentencing is set for April 17, 2018, before U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.

Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. 

 This case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.  The Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. 

This case is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes.  The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.  For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.