Michael Anthony Rangel, 43, received the sentence after a federal jury rendered a guilty verdict in December on charges of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge Howard Nielson Jr. also sentenced Rangel to three years of supervised release.

Rangel was arrested on July 27, 2022, following a traffic stop during which he admitted to possessing a firearm, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The handgun had a round in the chamber with no magazine, and three additional 9 mm rounds were found on Rangel’s person, according to the arrest document. A criminal history check revealed that he had four previous felony convictions — including one for aggravated assault — per the affidavit.

According to the DOJ release, Rangel had been in possession of a stolen Taurus PT111 G2 pistol, which was seized by law enforcement along with the ammunition.

The case was investigated by Ogden Metro Gang Task Force, while Special Assistant United States Attorney Branden Miles and Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah served as prosecutors.

The case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, or PSN. According to the release, PSN is “a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve” in an effort to reduce violent crime and gun violence and make neighborhoods safer.

“On May 26, 2021, the (DOJ) launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results,” the release stated.

For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to https://www.justice.gov/PSN.