Winnebago Man Sentenced to 153 Months for Assault, Gunfire

Roman Perales, 22, of Winnebago, Nebraska, is headed to federal prison for 153 months after opening fire during a violent confrontation outside a residence on July 25, 2019. Perales was sentenced in Omaha federal court on charges of assault with intent to commit any felony and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. handed down the sentence, with no possibility of parole under federal law. Following his prison term, Perales will serve five years under federal supervised release.

The gunfire erupted during a heated altercation outside a home in the small northern Nebraska community. Perales, already present at the residence, grabbed a .22 caliber rifle and opened fire on multiple individuals. One woman was struck in the arm, suffering an open wound that left her bleeding at the scene. The attack didn’t stop there—Perales advanced on a second woman, who was seated in a vehicle and pleaded with him, insisting she had nothing to do with the fight and only wanted to leave.

Perales pointed the rifle directly at the second victim’s face, terrifying her into believing she would be shot. She froze, helpless, as the weapon loomed inches from her. No additional shots were fired at that moment, but the psychological toll was immediate and severe. After the threats, Perales fled the scene, hiding both the rifle and remaining ammunition to evade law enforcement.

What made the case even more disturbing: at the time of the shooting, Perales was already under federal supervision for a prior violent felony. On June 15, 2015, he was convicted in the same federal district for assault with intent to commit any felony. His 2019 rampage violated the terms of that supervised release, compounding the severity of his criminal record.

The investigation was a joint effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winnebago Police Department, whose officers responded to the chaotic scene. The case was prosecuted as part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative launched in fall 2019 to combat gun violence. The program strengthens enforcement of federal firearms laws, enhances interagency coordination, and targets individuals who illegally possess or use guns, especially those with violent histories.

Project Guardian prioritizes cases like Perales’s—where a prohibited person, already known to law enforcement, commits a violent act with a firearm. With no parole in the federal system, Perales will serve at least 85% of his sentence. His conviction underscores the federal government’s tightening grip on repeat offenders who escalate disputes with deadly force.

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