Nevada man indicted for illegal firearm possession after Sacramento arrest
A federal grand jury indicted a Nevada felon on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm Thursday after his arrest in Sacramento County last year.
Taisia Soloai Fauolo, 29, of Henderson, Nevada, was arrested in Sacramento County last October for suspicious activity during law enforcement action, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Office in Sacramento.
Fauolo, who has prior felony convictions dating back to 2018 for unlawful transportation of firearms, participation in a criminal street gang, robbery and carrying a loaded firearm, is prohibited from owning a firearm under California law.
According to court documents, Fauolo was found in possession of a firearm during the arrest of an alleged criminal street gang associate by the San Francisco Police Department’s Violence Reduction Team. Officers saw Fauolo allegedly crouching behind a parked car and running through an apartment complex in the River District after his alleged accomplice’s arrest.
After commanding Fauolo to stop and detaining him, investigators discovered a 9mm Glock 19 handgun — with a 30-round magazine inserted and one round chambered — beneath the rear axle of the car where Fauolo had allegedly been crouching, according to the affidavit included in the arrest warrant.
A grand jury indicted Fauolo on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm by a felon Thursday.
If convicted, Fauolo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Fauolo’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fauolo’s case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney Eric Grant’s office.
The FBI conducted the investigation into Fauolo with the support of the San Francisco Police Department.
