FRESNO, Calif. - U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii sentenced Randy Flowers, 51, of Fresno, to two years and nine months in prison for being a felon in possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Flowers is one of seven defendants, including former Fresno deputy police chief Keith Foster, charged in a multi-count indictment returned on April 9, 2015. Flowers entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2017, to Count 10 of the indictment, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Five of Flowers’ co-defendants entered guilty pleas and have either been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing, Keith Foster proceeded to trial, and on May 23, 2017, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 10, 2017.
According to court documents, Flowers was arrested on March 26, 2015, after a brief meeting at his home with Keith Foster. Flowers was found to be in possession of a.357-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a.45-caliber pistol, and a Remington.30-06 caliber rifle. Having previously been convicted of two felonies, Flowers was prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie L. Alsworth and Dawrence W. Rice Jr. are prosecuting the case.
Five co-defendants have pleaded guilty to various offenses related to the drug trafficking conspiracy. Denny Foster is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14, 2017. Ricky Reynolds is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11, 2017. On Oct. 11, 2016, Rafael Guzman, 43, of Fresno was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. Jennifer Donabedian, 37, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to concealing a felony and served 12 months’ probation. Sarah Ybarra, 39, of Fresno, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and served one year in prison.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
