A Vallejo man has been sentenced to five years in prison following a vehicle stop that led to the discovery of illegal ammunition possession. Raykheem Andrew Guthery, 32, faced the consequences of his actions in a judgment announced yesterday by U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
According to a Department of Justice press release, officers stopped Guthery on June 9, 2022, due to driving a car that lacked license plates. Guthery, at first attempting to mislead law enforcement about his identity, denied his parole or probation status, also claiming he was unarmed. However, upon arrest, a "ghost gun" equipped with an extended magazine was found on him, loaded with .40-caliber ammunition.
The facts of Guthery's criminal history reveal a prohibitively troubled past, which includes at least three felony convictions. Among them is a 2016 conviction for forcible assault likely to cause grave bodily injury. Compounding his predicament was an active domestic violence protective order from April 2021, issued by the Superior Court of California, Solano County, which further restricted his right to bear arms or ammunition.
The sentencing is part of the broader initiative, Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aiming to curtail violent crime and gun violence. "This case was 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," stated the Department of Justice. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy to enhance PSN, focusing on essential principles such as fostering community trust, supporting violence prevention organizations, prioritizing strategic enforcement, and evaluating outcomes.
Guthery's case was brought to light following investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. The prosecution of the case was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella.
