Eligio Nunez, Felon in Possession of Firearms, California 2021

Eligio Nunez, 42, of Hayward, was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms after a high-speed chase in Vacaville, California.

According to evidence presented at trial, Nunez led police on a high-speed chase in a stolen Lexus on Aug. 7, 2020, and ended the pursuit by abandoning the car in a grassy area off of Shelton Lane in Vacaville.

After running from police, Nunez was apprehended by officers in a dry creek bed. Just after he fled on foot, the car caught fire, which caused ammunition inside the car to explode. Later, an investigation found three handguns inside the burned car, which the jury found Nunez to have possessed.

Nunez was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his 10 felony convictions, which include assault with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, evading a peace officer, and two drug trafficking offenses.

Nunez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on Nov. 23, 2021. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.

Nunez’s exact criminal charges are being a felon in possession of firearms. He was arrested on Aug. 7, 2020, and has been found guilty. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Paul A. Hemesath, and is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vacaville Police Department.

Eligio Nunez is the defendant, and his case is being prosecuted as part of the PSN Program, which focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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