Charges filed against man connected to Modesto officer shooting, U.S. attorney says
A Modesto felon is facing drug and firearm charges after an attempted traffic stop turned into a high-speed chase in Waterford in early September, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip Talbert announced Thursday.
On Sept. 4, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the city of Waterford when Andrew Paul Satariano, 41, decided to flee, reaching speeds of about 100 mph, the news release states. He was later apprehended after hiding from officers in the area.
“Deputies discovered approximately 2 pounds of methamphetamine and two loaded handguns in the driver’s area of the vehicle,” the release states.
As a felon, Satariano should not have been in possession of a firearm and ammunition and as a result is being charged with this crime by the federal grand jury. He’s also being charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, the release shows.
Satariano is also the fifth suspected wanted in connection with the shooting of Modesto Police Department (MPD) Officer Michael Rokaitis, who was serving a search warrant at an Orangeburg home in Modesto when, police said, another suspect, 42-year-old Jesse James Collins Brooks, opened fire. Since then, Rokaitis has undergone seven surgeries, including one where part of his right leg was amputated.
At that time, MPD said Satariano was wanted in connection with firearms, methamphetamine and fentanyl found in the home. However, he wasn’t arrested until early September when Stanislaus County deputies received a tip about a man driving a suspicious vehicle with a rifle and a nude woman inside.
If convicted of drug distribution, Satariano faces at a minimum 10 years in prison, with a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine, according to the release. Further, a conviction for being in possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense would carry a minimum term of five years and a maximum of life in prison and a fine of $250,000.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Once taking into consideration applicable statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines, sentencing will be up to the discretion of the court.
The case is being prosecuted by the federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Schuh prosecuting the case. The effort is a result of an investigation produced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office, the Modesto Police Department and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
