U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
Eastern District of California

Eastern District of California

www.justice.gov/usao/cae

For Immediate Release

Monday, April 11, 2011

Fresno Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms Charges

FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Anthony Murillo, 28, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United Sates Attorney Kimberly Sanchez is prosecuting the case.

According to court documents, Murillo has admitted that he is a Bulldog gang member. In his plea agreement, he admitted that he possessed firearms on two separate occasions: December 7 and December 15, 2010. Murillo has prior felony convictions for burglary and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney Wagner stated: This case was prosecuted federally as a result of the Project Ceasefire initiative in the City of Fresno, in which federal, state and local law enforcement agencies team up with community organizations to assist gang members in choosing alternatives to violence. Those members who persist in violent behavior risk federal prosecution, including lengthy sentences.

Gang members who possess firearms illegally are predisposed to commit crimes and infuse fear through terror and violent behavior, stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Stephen C. Herkins. ATF’s priority is to combat violent crime. By working diligently with our law enforcement partners we are effectively targeting, disarming, and removing violent criminals from our neighborhoods.

Murillo is scheduled for sentencing by Senior United States District Judge Oliver W. Wanger on June 20, 2011. The maximum statutory penalty for each count is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

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