Department of Justice

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Derrick Dewayne Gage, 41, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, law enforcement officers were on patrol at the Plaza Motel on Union Avenue in Bakersfield when they saw Gage inside a room with a firearm and what appeared to be narcotics. The officers seized a loaded Sarsilmaz 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. Gage is prohibited from possessing firearms because he has prior felony convictions for domestic violence, participation in a criminal street gang, and sales of cocaine.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Gage 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 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.