A 70-year-old Las Vegas man who illegally sold rifles, pistols and a shotgun despite being barred from ever touching a firearm again was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in federal prison. Frederick Warren pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, closing out a case built on a criminal record stretching back decades.
Warren's 30-month sentence fell well short of what prosecutors wanted. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada, the government had asked U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to impose 77 months, but the judge instead handed down a term less than half that length. Federal sentencing guidelines give judges latitude to weigh statutory factors beyond the government's recommendation, and Dorsey's ruling reflects a substantial variance from what prosecutors sought.
Court records show Warren unlawfully possessed and sold five firearms in the Las Vegas area between October 31 and November 18, 2022. The haul included a loaded Colt Defense Carbine 5.56 rifle, a Remington Arms .22-250 rifle, two 9mm pistols with one of them loaded, and a 12-gauge shotgun, per the same account. Warren was legally barred from possessing any of them under federal law.
A Record Stacked With 16 Felonies
That prohibition traces back to a criminal history that federal prosecutors say includes 16 prior felony convictions. The record features robbery with a firearm in Riverside County, California, along with manufacturing and selling controlled substances, possession of a controlled substance while armed, and vehicle theft, the office notes. It is the kind of extensive, weapons-linked history that federal prosecutors routinely prioritize when deciding which repeat offenders to pursue.
Under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), anyone previously convicted of a felony punishable by more than a year in prison is permanently prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm or ammunition, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. That ban has no expiration date unless a person obtains formal legal relief. Congress raised the stakes further through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in June 2022, which increased the statutory maximum penalty for felon-in-possession violations under 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8) from 10 years to 15 years, as detailed in the Federal Register.
What 30 Months Actually Means
Warren's sentence will not shrink much in practice. Because parole has been eliminated in the federal system, inmates must serve at least 85% of an imposed sentence before becoming eligible for supervised release, according to the Napier Law Firm. Federal truth-in-sentencing rules bar the kind of early release available in some state systems, meaning Warren is expected to spend the bulk of his 30 months behind bars.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives San Francisco Field Division under Special Agent in Charge John Wester, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Brewer. ATF's San Francisco division oversees federal firearm investigations across Nevada and Northern California, a reach that reflects how illegal gun pipelines can cross state lines even when the sales themselves happen locally.
Federal Officials Point to a Broader Strategy
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah said federal prosecutors in the District of Nevada actively collaborate with local law enforcement to disrupt illegal weapon pipelines and clear unauthorized firearms from local streets. ATF San Francisco SAC John Wester added that illegal firearm trafficking directly threatens public safety in Las Vegas, and that federal agents remain focused on keeping weapons out of the hands of prohibited people.
Warren's case is not an isolated one. Hoodline has previously reported on a felon caught with meth and a ghost gun who received an 11-year federal sentence, and on Las Vegas felon Noel Lynn Waters, who admitted to possessing an illegal ghost gun and making threats. Together with a February federal push targeting straw buyers in Nevada, the cases point to a sustained effort by federal authorities to pull illegal firearms and repeat offenders off Las Vegas streets.
