SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment Thursday against Anthony Julian Ramirez, 32, of Sacramento, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Jan. 14, 2026, Ramirez was the passenger in a car stopped by law enforcement officers for a traffic violation. During the stop, the driver of the car was found to have multiple pending arrest warrants and admitted to having drug paraphernalia in the car. Officers searched the car and under Ramirez’ passenger seat, found a loaded Springfield Armory Hellcat 9 mm handgun. When booking Ramirez into jail following his arrest, deputies also found a round of 9 mm ammunition in his shoe. Ramirez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of multiple felony convictions, including for burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, and five convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The FBI and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Ramirez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 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 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.