April 15, 2021 - LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A charged felon from California has been sentenced on Tuesday to 14 months in federal prison for receiving four firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Taisia Soloai Fauolo, 24, of Oakley, California (within the San Francisco Bay Area), pleaded guilty to one count of illegal receipt of a firearm by a person under indictment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Miranda M. Du sentenced Fauolo to  three years of supervised release.

According to court documents, on or about January 18, 2018, Fauolo’s co-defendant James Williams Jr. bought four firearms: a FN Five-Seven pistol, a Glock 42 .380 caliber pistol, a Glock 19C 9mm pistol, and a Glock 30S .45 caliber pistol from a gun store in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later that same day, Fauolo received these guns from Williams. The FN pistol and Glock 19C pistols are semiautomatic firearms capable of accepting large capacity magazines. At the time he received those firearms from Williams, Fauolo knew he was charged with two felony offenses in San Francisco County.

Williams, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 28 months in prison in February 2020, following a jury conviction for making a false statement during a purchase of a firearm. Between May 2017 and May 2018, Williams purchased 35 firearms, mostly handguns, and many of the same make, model, and caliber from various Las Vegas firearms dealers over approximately a one-year period.

This case was the product of an investigation by the ATF, with assistance by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Grimmer prosecuted the case.

The public is urged to report illegal firearms activity to the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867).

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 and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the ATF 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.

For more information about Project Guardian, visit https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Source: DOJ