Nicholas Addleman, a confirmed member of the Norteño gang with a history of violence, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge James Donato, follows Addleman's guilty plea to illegal possession of firearms. As reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, the 38-year-old from Vallejo, CA, has a rap sheet that includes previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at an inhabited dwelling.
After serving five years in state custody and subsequently being released on parole in July 2022, Addleman couldn't seem to return to his old ways quickly. Within months, a parole search of his vehicle in October 2022 led to the discovery of two Glock firearms, including one with a loaded extended magazine, secreted away in a hidden compartment. Addleman admitted the weapons were his, with his DNA matched to one of the guns' grips. Initially set to be sentenced in February 2024, Addleman temporarily evaded justice by fleeing days before the date, resulting in December 2024's arrest following a court-issued bench warrant.
A subsequent search of Addleman's Vallejo residence uncovered additional assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and suspected silencers. The court also ordered Addleman to forfeit all seized firearms and ammunition and mandated three years of supervised release post-prison.
This case exemplifies the ongoing efforts under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to combat violent crime and gun violence. PSN is a coordinated effort by law enforcement at all levels to make neighborhoods safer through focused enforcement and community engagement boldly. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani reaffirmed their commitment to the initiative, alongside community-based strategies to prevent violence fundamentally. The case is part of a wider Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, which targets high-level criminal activity with a multi-agency approach.
The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Leif Dautch, supported by Nina Burney. It resulted from collaborative investigation efforts by the FBI, San Francisco Police Department, and Vallejo Police Department.
