Eric Terrell Christian, Felon in Possession of Firearms, California 2023

VACAVILLE, CA – Another repeat offender caught red-handed with illegal firearms. Eric Terrell Christian, 31, of Vacaville, admitted in federal court today he was illegally packing heat, despite a rap sheet that already includes multiple felony convictions. The case, a product of the ATF and local law enforcement, highlights the revolving door justice system that keeps dangerous criminals armed and on the streets.

According to court documents, back on August 11, 2022, cops busted Christian on a parole violation. What they found wasn’t a minor infraction: a loaded Glock handgun, round in the chamber, with a high-capacity magazine holding another 17 rounds. A search of an apartment linked to Christian turned up a second pistol, a Palmetto Arms, also loaded, with a whopping 40-round magazine. Christian is barred from owning guns thanks to prior convictions for assault with a deadly weapon – twice – and was already on parole when he committed this latest offense.

This isn’t an isolated incident. In a separate case, Gabriel Joseph Detrant, 49, of Redding, also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on May 18, 2023. Law enforcement caught Detrant fleeing after a traffic stop in February 2021. They recovered a loaded Baikal Makarov handgun near the driver’s seat, along with an additional magazine. Detrant, already a convicted felon for – you guessed it – being a felon in possession of a firearm back in 2018, was found hiding nearby with the extra ammo.

The feds aren’t just catching these guys with guns; they’re also handing down sentences, though whether those sentences are enough to keep the public safe is another question. Kevin Lester Wise, 68, of Rancho Cordova, received two and a half years in prison on May 9, 2023, for yet another violation of firearm laws. Wise was found with a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. This isn’t his first rodeo either – he previously tried to illegally import silencers from China and was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2013.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California is touting these cases as wins for “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a program aimed at reducing violent crime. But the reality is, these men were already convicted felons. The system failed to keep them from re-offending. Christian faces a maximum of 15 years and a $250,000 fine. Detrant could get 10 years and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing dates are set for August 28, 2023 for Christian, and August 31, 2023 for Detrant, before U.S. District Judges William B. Shubb and Daniel J. Calabretta, respectively. The actual punishment will depend on the judges’ discretion and federal sentencing guidelines.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Haddy Abouzeid are prosecuting these cases. The investigations involved a multi-agency effort, including the Vacaville Police Department, California Department of Corrections, Solano County District Attorney’s Office, FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, and Redding Police Department. While the agencies involved deserve credit for their work, the question remains: how many more repeat offenders will slip through the cracks before real, lasting change occurs?

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

Weapons

Michael Layne Spath, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, South Dakota 2017

Mar 24, 2017

Weapons

Mark Allen Riffle, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, West Virginia 2019

Apr 12, 2021

Weapons

Erick Arenas Pascual, Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms, Texas 2023

Apr 9, 2026

Weapons

James A. Houston, Armed Robbery, New York 2019

Apr 9, 2026