A 70-year-old Las Vegas man who illegally sold rifles, pistols and a shotgun despite being barred from ever touching a firearm again was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in federal prison. Frederick Warren pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, closing out a case built on a criminal record stretching back decades.
Warren’s 30-month sentence fell well short of what prosecutors wanted. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, the government had asked U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to impose 77 months, but the judge instead handed down a term less than half that length. Federal sentencing guidelines give judges latitude to weigh statutory factors beyond the government’s recommendation, and Dorsey’s ruling reflects a substantial variance from what prosecutors sought.
Court records show Warren unlawfully possessed and sold five firearms in the Las Vegas area between October 31 and November 18, 2022. The haul included a loaded Colt Defense Carbine 5.56 rifle, a Remington Arms .22-250 rifle, two 9mm pistols with one of them loaded, and a 12-gauge shotgun, per the same account. Warren was legally barred from possessing any of them under federal law.
A Record Stacked With 16 Felonies
That prohibition traces back to a criminal history that federal prosecutors say includes 16 prior felony convictions. The record features robbery with a firearm in Riverside County, California, along with manufacturing and selling controlled substances, possession of a controlled substance while armed, and vehicle theft, the office notes. It is the kind of extensive, weapons-linked history that federal prosecutors routinely prioritize when deciding which repeat offenders to pursue…