FRESNO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment on Oct. 19, 2017, against Luvell Ronell Blinks, age 34, of Bakersfield, charging him with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 25, 2017, Bakersfield police officers attempted to stop the vehicle Blinks was driving when he took off at a high rate of speed. Following a vehicle pursuit and a subsequent foot chase, Blinks was apprehended and found in possession of a loaded.357 caliber Smith and Wesson Revolver.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bakersfield Police Department, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Delaney is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
