Fremont Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession

OAKLAND – In a gritty turn of events, Kristopher Allan Sylvester, 35, of Fremont, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Oakland to being a felon in possession of a loaded handgun. United States Attorney David L. Anderson announced the charges.

Sylvester’s crime spree began on April 2, 2020, when he was arrested in Fremont following an investigation into a commercial burglary at a rental car location. At this arrest, authorities found a Ruger .380 caliber handgun with eight rounds of ammunition and a magazine loaded.

His second brush with the law came on April 16, 2020, when Sylvester was apprehended in Santa Clara County with a stolen Ford Mustang and a Smith & Wesson SD9VE 9mm handgun containing eleven rounds of Winchester ammunition.

The third arrest occurred on May 15, 2020, in San Leandro. Sylvester was in possession of a Bishop Defense 9mm handgun and fourteen rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition and a magazine. All three handguns were found to be manufactured outside California.

Sylvester’s guilty plea comes after he was charged by Information on June 22, 2020, with one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He is currently being held at Santa Rita Jail.

Scheduled for December 8, 2020, Sylvester’s sentencing hearing will be presided over by the Honorable Jeffrey S. White. The maximum penalties he faces include ten years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and mandatory special assessment. However, any sentence will be determined after considering federal guidelines.

The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan U. Lee with assistance from Jessica Rodriguez Gonzalez and Kathleen Turner. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with the Fremont, San Jose, and Santa Clara Police Departments.