Rancho Cordova Man Pleads Guilty to Second Federal Charge for Being a Felon in Possession

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Kevin Lester Wise, 68, of Rancho Cordova, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, a federal search warrant of Wise’s residence resulted in the discovery of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle and a silencer. Wise had previously attempted to unlawfully import another silencer from China. In 1990, Wise was convicted in Sacramento County for unlawful assault by an officer while he was serving as a deputy sheriff. In 2013, Wise was previously convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of California for a being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Wise is prohibited from owning firearms, including silencers.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Wise is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2023, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Wise faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

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.