Caldwell man sentenced to prison on federal gun charges
BOISE, Idaho (PRESS RELEASE) - Frank Ocegueda-Munoz, 23, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced yesterday.
A federal grand jury indicted Ocegueda-Munoz on January 14, 2020.
According to court records, Nampa police officers encountered Ocegueda-Munoz, a passenger, during a traffic stop on February 18, 2019. He possessed a loaded 12-gauge shotgun between his feet and legs.
Ocegueda-Munoz is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony drug conviction. Officers arrested Ocegueda-Munoz and took him to jail, where they found almost six grams of methamphetamine on his person. Ocegueda-Munoz subsequently posted bail and was released from state custody.
The following month, on March 16, 2019, Caldwell police officers stopped Ocegueda-Munoz for a traffic violation. Ocegueda-Munoz initially complied with officers. However, Ocegueda-Munoz sped away from the scene before the traffic stop concluded.
As he sped away, an officer was injured in his attempt to avoid being struck by the vehicle. Ocegueda-Munoz later crashed his vehicle and fled on foot. Officers eventually located Ocegueda-Munoz, at which point he resisted arrest.
A search of the abandoned vehicle revealed another 12-gauge shotgun, a digital scale, and small plastic baggies. It was later determined that this shotgun was stolen during a burglary.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Nampa Police Department, and Caldwell Police Department.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also 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 and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 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.
You can find more information about Project Guardian here.
