Twin Cities Felon Sentenced to 55 Months in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

MINNEAPOLIS – A Twin Cities man has been sentenced to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. 

According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 7, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol officer stopped Salvador Anthony Pacheco, 46, for multiple traffic violations. During the interaction, the officer smelled marijuana in the car and requested a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted officers to additional drugs in Pacheco’s vehicle. A search of the car and its contents revealed a Kahr .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the defendant’s backpack. Because Pacheco has prior felony convictions, including murder, assault, and weapons violations, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. 

Pacheco was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel. The sentence reflects an upward variance from the advisory sentencing guideline range Pacheco pleaded guilty on April 15, 2024, to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.