SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against John Allan Trotter, 36, of Sacramento, charging him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on February 8, 2018, Trotter was arrested after leading Sacramento County Sheriff’s detectives on a high-speed chase. Trotter crashed his car and ran from law enforcement officers before being apprehended. Trotter had a loaded gun, methamphetamine, and scale in his car at the time of the crash.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Lee is prosecuting the case.
If convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, Trotter faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of five years in prison and up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, he faces a penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
