BOISE – Gabriel Rendon, 25, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, on March 23, 2023, officers responded to shots being fired at a local business in Nampa. Upon arriving, Rendon fled from officers. Rendon was apprehended and a loaded handgun was found inside a satchel he was carrying.
At the time of his arrest, Rendon was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2016 conviction for robbery. Rendon was also on parole for three prior felony convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled substance. Although Rendon admitted he was a gang member, he contends he dropped out of the gang during his previous prison sentence.
“Part of our public safety mission is enforcing the law that prohibits felons from possessing firearms, especially those people with prior violent felony convictions such as this Defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will continue to prosecute those who are prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous dangerous felony convictions.”
“This felon needs to be held accountable,” said Chief Joe Huff. “I am grateful no innocent community members and no police officers were injured or killed during this reckless incident, in the middle of the afternoon, in a busy commercial area of Nampa. I’m proud of the great teamwork between all of the agencies involved in bringing him to justice.”
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Rendon to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Rendon pleaded guilty to the federal charge in October of 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of the Nampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which led to the charge.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francis Zebari and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler, who was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department 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.