U.S. Department of Justice

United States Attorney
Eastern District of California

Eastern District of California

www.justice.gov/usao/cae

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Out-of-State Felon Arrested for Firearm Violation

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Scott James, also known as James Scott MacCulloch, 58, of Aurora, Colo., with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that James, who was previously convicted of rape, illegally possessed a handgun with an obliterated serial number. He is also wanted by the State of Colorado for failing to register as a sex offender.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Ripon Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Hemesath is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, James faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 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.

The charges are only allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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