FRESNO, Calif. — Julian Burmado, 30, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to possessing firearms not registered to him in the National Firearms Registry, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, Burmado manufactured rifles with various barrel lengths and offered the rifles for sale. On Oct. 3, 2018, Burmado was arrested in possession of five rifles of varying lengths. One barrel was longer than 16 inches as required by law, but three rifles had barrel lengths of 12 inches and one had a barrel length of 9 inches. None of the short barrel rifles were registered with the National Firearms Registry.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the case.

Burmado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on May 11. Burmado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.

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. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Thursday against Julian Burmado, 29, of Bakersfield, charging him with one count of unlawfully manufacturing and dealing firearms and five counts of possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registry, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

According to court documents, between March 19 and November 6, 2018, Burmado manufactured and sold homemade rifles to a confidential informant. Many of the rifles had barrel lengths of less than 16 inches. Burmado did not have a license to engage in the business of manufacturing and dealing in firearms, nor were any of the short-barrel rifles registered as required by federal law.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie L. Alsworth is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Burmado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count involving possession of unregistered firearms, and a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for unlawfully manufacturing and dealing firearm. 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.