February 11, 2026 – On February 9, 2026, Joseph Rocha, 27, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

Image by Ray Shrewsberry • Ray_Shrewsberry from Pixabay 

According to court documents, on March 21, 2024, law enforcement officers performed a traffic stop on Rocha’s vehicle. When he told them his license was in the trunk, officers asked him to step out of the vehicle, at which point Rocha turned the vehicle on and placed it in drive. Officers struggled with him to regain control of the vehicle through a half-open door. Rocha continued to fight as officers removed him from the vehicle, at one point trying to spring away from officers and grab an officer’s taser. Eventually, officers subdued Rocha, at which point they found him in possession of a loaded firearm. Rocha is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions in Fresno County including evading a peace officer, firearms offenses, assault, car theft, and drug trafficking.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fresno Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.

Rocha is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff on May 26, 2026. Rocha faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

Source: DOJ Release