Stockton Man Guilty of Felon in Possession of Machine Gun

A federal jury has found Antonio Nicholas Smith, 26, of Stockton, guilty of being a felon in possession of a fully automatic firearm, following a high-octane crash and foot chase through a residential neighborhood. The verdict, delivered Thursday after a three-day trial in Sacramento, marks a critical win for federal prosecutors cracking down on illegal gun possession in California's Central Valley.

According to trial evidence, on March 6, 2016, Smith was riding in a vehicle in the Bear Creek district when law enforcement attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle failed to yield, initiating a high-speed pursuit through narrow streets and culminating in a violent crash several blocks later. As soon as the car came to rest, Smith bolted from the passenger seat, clutching a bag. He ditched it moments later but was captured hiding in a nearby backyard minutes after the crash.

Inside the discarded bag, officers recovered a Glock 9mm pistol rigged to fire in fully automatic mode — a modification that turns a standard handgun into a battlefield-style weapon. The gun was loaded with 43 rounds in a 50-round drum magazine, with an additional round chambered and ready to fire. Forensic testing confirmed the illegal conversion, which bypasses federal restrictions on machine guns.

Smith is barred from possessing any firearm due to prior felony convictions, making his control of such a dangerous weapon a serious federal offense. Prosecutors emphasized the threat posed by a high-capacity, automatic firearm in a densely populated residential area, where a single burst could have caused mass casualties.

The case was jointly investigated by the Stockton Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin L. Lee handled the prosecution, painting Smith as a repeat offender who recklessly endangered public safety. U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez presided over the trial.

Smith is set for sentencing on March 14, 2017. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. While the statutory maximum is clear, the actual sentence will be determined by the court, weighing federal sentencing guidelines and aggravating factors, including the weapon's lethality and the circumstances of the chase.

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