FRESNO, California — Two Fresno residents have been sentenced and pleaded guilty in separate firearm possession cases as part of Operation Take Back America.
Phatna Pich, a 23-year-old from Fresno, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing machine guns, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Court documents reveal that in October 2024, law enforcement officers investigated Pich for trafficking illegal firearms. A subsequent search of Pich’s home in November 2024 led to the seizure of a loaded firearm, several rounds of ammunition, and 12 auto-sears, devices used to convert firearms into automatic weapons. Pich, who has two prior firearm-related felony convictions, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. The Fresno Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuting the case.
In a separate case, Thomas Carter Beasley, a 21-year-old from Fresno, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court documents state that Beasley engaged in a high-speed chase when police attempted to pull him over, during which he sped through stop signs, nearly hit bystanders, and eventually crashed into a parked car. After the crash, Beasley fled on foot and hid a loaded .40 caliber Glock 27 handgun under a resident’s doormat. Beasley faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with the actual sentence to be determined by the court. The Fresno Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody S. Chapple and Robert Veneman-Hughes prosecuting the case…