COVINGTON, Ky.- A Florence, Kentucky, man, Cordero D. Warren, 31, pled guilty in federal court on Wednesday, before U.S. District Judge David Bunning to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Warren admitted that on Sept. 24, 2019, officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Florence. During the traffic stop, officers observed a loaded handgun on the floorboard at Warren’s feet. According to the plea agreement, Warren admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Warren was indicted in October 2019.
Robert M. Duncan, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Sheriff Michael A. Helmig, Boone County Sheriff’s Department, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and Boone County Sheriff’s Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonard.
Warren is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18, 2020. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods" Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety - one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan Jr., coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
- END -
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
