Sacramento man gets prison time for initiating gun sale at parole office, prosecutors say
A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Sacramento man to 10 years in prison after he was captured illegally selling guns in an undercover FBI investigation, including one sale he initiated while at a parole office, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb sentenced Dezmaighne McClain, 31, for three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento. A federal jury on April 6 found McClain guilty on the three gun charges after a two-day trial.
McClain on July 15, 2019, was in the lobby of the California State Parole North Sacramento Office in North Highlands when he was approached by a “confidential source” with transmitting and audio recording devices, according to a FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court Eastern District of California. The source had been instructed to talk to McClain about guns and whether he was involved in distributing firearms.
After stepping outside the parole office to smoke a cigarette, McClain explained he was buying guns from a “white boy” and had a Smith and Wesson he would sell for $600, according to the FBI affidavit.
While under audio and video surveillance by the FBI, McClain on two separate occasions sold a black Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Shield pistol for $600 and a black and gray Springfield Armory XD40 pistol for $700, according to the affidavit.
The Smith and Wesson had a serial number and was reported stolen in December 2018 in Butte County. The Springfield Armory pistol, which was manufactured in Croatia, also had a serial number but was not registered or reported stolen, according to the affidavit.
The FBI said McClain then sent text messages to the “confidential source” with photos of an AR-15-style weapon and a chrome revolver he also wanted to sell. Those messages led to investigators serving a search warrant at McClain’s home.
FBI agents found more guns, ammunition and a privately manufactured AR‑15-style firearm, commonly known as a ghost gun, hidden in the garage of his home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers and are sold without background checks, making them difficult to trace and easy to acquire by criminals, prosecutors said.
During his trial, the prosecution presented evidence that showed McClain also sold guns to others while on parole, both before and after the July 15 gun sale, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. McClain was prohibited from possessing guns and ammunition after previous convictions of robbery, assault, possessing drugs for sale and illegal gun possession.
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 7:31 PM.
