Miguel Alberto Burgos, Felon in Possession of Firearm, California 2021

Bakersfield Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm

FRESNO, Calif. — Miguel Alberto Burgos, 28, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2021, a law enforcement officer stopped Burgos for committing traffic infractions while driving a vehicle in Bakersfield. Burgos yielded his vehicle but fled on foot. The officer gave chase and eventually secured Burgos on the ground, but he broke free and continued flight. Shortly afterwards, officers caught and arrested Burgos. During the chase, Burgos discarded a Ruger LCP .380-caliber handgun loaded with a high-capacity magazine.

Burgos cannot lawfully possess firearms because he was convicted in 2013 of second-degree robbery. Burgos is a long-time member of Bakersfield’s Varrio Bakers criminal street gang.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Burgos, a resident of Bakersfield, California, was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a sentence of three years in prison for this crime.

Defendant: Miguel Alberto Burgos

Criminal Charge: Felon in Possession of Firearm

City and State: Bakersfield, California

Exact Date: January 18, 2021

Sentence: Three years in prison

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