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Federal Grand Jury Indicts New Bedford Man for Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Reports U.S. Attorney

Posted on: Thursday, 27 July 2006, 18:00 CDT

BOSTON, Mass., July 27 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal grand jury yesterday indicted a New Bedford man on a charge of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and several rounds of ammunition. The defendant was initially arrested by the New Bedford Police earlier this year in connection with yesterday's charges. Bristol County District Attorney Paul Walsh's Office referred the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office for prosecution under federal gun laws as part of an on-going cooperative law enforcement effort aimed at reducing firearm-related violence in the City of New Bedford.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New England; Ron Teachman, Chief of the New Bedford Police Department; and Paul Walsh, Bristol County District Attorney, announced today that LUIS ALBERTO GARCIA, JR., age 22, of 241 State Street, New Bedford, was charged in a one-count Indictment with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.

According to the Indictment and other documents previously filed with the Court, it is alleged that on February 6, 2006, GARCIA possessed a Luger .9mm pistol loaded with 3 rounds of .9 caliber ammunition. It is further alleged that at the time he possessed the pistol, GARCIA had three previous state felony convictions. Federal law prohibits individuals previously convicted of a federal or state felony from possessing firearms or ammunition.

GARCIA was initially arrested by the New Bedford Police on February 6, 2006 and later remanded to the custody of federal authorities in connection with these charges. A federal Magistrate Judge previously ordered that GARCIA remain in federal custody pending trial.

If convicted, GARCIA faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

A New Bedford Firearms Task Force was formed in June 2003, under the auspices of Project Safe Neighborhoods ("PSN") to address firearm violence in the city, and includes representatives from the ATF, the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, and the New Bedford Police Department. PSN is President Bush's comprehensive initiative to combat gun crime in America by providing locally-based programs with the tools and resources they need to succeed. Since its inception the Task Force has worked to identify sources for firearms in the New Bedford area, develop investigative strategies to remove the guns from the streets, and build criminal cases against those responsible for possessing and distributing them.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New England and officers with the New Bedford Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelbey Wright in Sullivan's Criminal Division.

The details contained in the Indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney

CONTACT: Samantha Martin of The U.S. Attorney's Office, +1-617-748-3139

Source: PRNewswire

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