SAN ANTONIO – A Karnes City man was sentenced yesterday to 24 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court records, on October 28, 2020, FBI agents arrested Cameron Emerson Casey Rankin, 22, at his residence where they recovered a semi-automatic rifle during the execution of a search warrant. The illegally possessed firearm had the capability and means to affect violence in furtherance of his beliefs. Rankin expressed a desire to overthrow the government, specifically, the “three letter agencies” such as ATF, FBI and IRS. Rankin attempted to purchase two long guns from a San Antonio retail outlet on March 23, 2018 but was denied the firearms transactions under the “Prohibited Category” for previously being judicially committed to a mental institution.
On May 30, 2020, Rankin and others, carrying long guns and pistols, appeared at the Alamo in downtown San Antonio to attend a protest in reaction to the death of George Floyd. The next day, Rankin posted on his Facebook account photos of himself and others carrying firearms at the protest as well as comments about his disdain for police including, “…hope they burn the precinct down” and “I’m BOOGALOO we hate police.”
On April 27, 2021, Rankin pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by one who has been judicially committed to a mental institution. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on October 28, 2020.
U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff of the Western District of Texas; FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski made the announcement.
The FBI and ATF investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William R. Harris and Mark T. Roomberg prosecuted the case.
The FBI-Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
###
Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.
