Alamdar Hamdani U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A 34-year-old McAllen resident, David Michael Saenz, has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing firearms as a felon. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei following Saenz's guilty plea on November 21, 2024.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane imposed the sentence, which includes three years of supervised release after the prison term. The incident leading to Saenz's arrest occurred on September 11, 2024, when law enforcement stopped him for a traffic violation and detected the smell of marijuana from his vehicle. Saenz admitted to having firearms.
The search revealed two handguns in his waistband and two more firearms in his vehicle, along with methamphetamine and marijuana. Investigations uncovered that Saenz had a prior conviction for aggravated robbery in 2021, making it illegal for him to possess firearms under federal law. He also confessed to using one of the firearms for protection while dealing drugs.
Saenz remains in custody awaiting transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility. The investigation was conducted jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Rio Grande City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. This initiative is part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime through collaboration among various stakeholders to address community-specific issues effectively.
