Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Loaded Sawed-Off Shotgun
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A convicted felon was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for unlawfully possessing a sawed-off shotgun, which was recovered during a traffic stop in Searchlight, Nevada.
According to court documents, on October 28, 2020, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer stopped a vehicle for traveling more than 50 miles per hour on a 25 mile per hour section of U.S. Route 95 through Searchlight. Ronald Allen Class, Jr. (31, of Las Vegas) was a backseat passenger in the vehicle.
While speaking with the driver and passengers, the officer noticed a sawed-off shotgun on the floor at Class’ feet. The officer secured the firearm — a Remington 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun that had a cut-down barrel and was loaded with a chambered round — and took Class into custody. Class is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. During the traffic stop, records checks revealed that: (a) the car had been stolen; and (b) three of the four people in the car, including Class, had outstanding arrest warrants.
Class pleaded guilty in March 2021 to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Class to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Christopher Chiou for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Patrick Gorman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Cowhig is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv.
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