A Texas man, identified as 34-year-old William Lesley from Dallas, entered a guilty plea for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. This development was announced by U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
During a parole-compliance check at the Galt home of Dexter Weeks, who is also a known felon on parole, law enforcement officers, found Lesley emerging from a bedroom. In that same bedroom, authorities discovered a loaded Ruger pistol within a backpack adjacent to the bed. Both Lesley and Weeks have prior felony convictions which under the law, expressly prohibits them from possessing firearms or ammunition, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The case against Lesley is a result of combined efforts by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid leading the prosecution.
Lesley's sentencing is scheduled for November 5, before U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. His co-defendant, Weeks, pled guilty earlier in the year on January 30, and awaits sentencing on August 6. Both men face potential maximum penalties of a 15-year prison term and a $250,000 fine. However, the true sentences will hinge on the court's discretion post review of statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which accounts for a myriad of variables.
This legal action is part of the broader initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a collaborative undertaking spearheaded by various levels of law enforcement aimed at curtailing violent crime and gun violence. The Department of Justice enhanced the program on May 26, 2021, with a focus on strengthening community trust, backing organizations that work on violence prevention, setting clear enforcement priorities, and assessing the outcomes of these actions. Additional information about PSN is available at the Justice Department's website.
