September 27, 2021 - FRESNO, Calif. — U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd sentenced Alejandro Chavarria, 34, of Mendota, on Friday, Sept. 24,  to five years and four months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Oct. 10, 2020, Chavarria was arrested in Oakhurst in possession of a handgun with a loaded extended magazine, two disassembled AR-style rifles, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Chavarria attempted to flee from police at the scene. Chavarria has been convicted of attempted carjacking, drug possession and robbery, and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. He was on parole for robbery at the time of his arrest.

This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Fresno Police Department, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Schuh prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Source: DOJ Release