Sacramento, California - A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against David Lopez, 33, of Susanville, charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, on March 17, 2018, Lopez was found in possession of a Glock 26 handgun, along with a loaded extended magazine. Lopez has previously been convicted of a felony and is not permitted under federal law to possess firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Susanville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Lopez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would 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; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that brings together federal, state and local law enforcement to combat gun and gang crime. At the core of PSN is increased federal prosecution to incapacitate chronic violent offenders as well as to communicate a credible deterrent threat to potential gun offenders.