Fairfield Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Michael David Punzal Jr., 40, of Fairfield, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Aug. 30, 2022, Punzal was found to be in possession of a firearm. Punzal is prohibited from possessing firearms due to seven prior felony convictions, including a 2014 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the San Francisco Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Punzal faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.