SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rudy Tafoya, 54, of West Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2021, law enforcement officers pulled Tafoya over for traffic violations. Officers found Tafoya had a loaded handgun in his left front pants pocket. Tafoya is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has six prior felony convictions, including a 2019 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Tafoya was serving a term of supervised release on his prior federal case when he violated supervision by again possessing a firearm.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Sacramento Police Department; and the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.
Tafoya is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Jan. 31, 2023. Tafoya faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.