Gang Member Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearm

Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced that Travell T. Richard, 32, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Richard to 51 months’ imprisonment.  Richard will serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from the Bureau of Prisons.  There is no parole in the federal system.    

On July 8, 2020, police were called to a possible disturbance involving Richard at a residence located on the 5900 block of North 47th Street, in Omaha.

Upon arrival at the residence, officers saw Richard, who attempted to flee into a bathroom located in the house. Officers followed Richard into the bathroom, at which time an officer could see Richard attempting to remove something from his shorts pocket. While officers attempted to detain Richard, he tossed a Taurus PT111 Millennium G2 pistol from his shorts across the bathroom floor. The handgun was recovered by an officer.

At the time Richard possessed this firearm, he knew he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms.  His previous convictions were in 2007, Assault in the First Degree and Use of a Deadly Weapon to Commit a Felony, and in 2018, Possession of a Controlled Substance, both in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska.  Richard also had a previous federal felony conviction for being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm (8:10CR10).

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with support from Project Guardian partner, the Omaha Police Department.