Modesto man sentenced in federal firearms case

A 32-year-old Modesto man received a four-year prison sentence Monday after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Anthony Rodriguez agreed to plead guilty to the weapons charge in exchange for a lesser sentence. He had been facing up to 10 years in federal prison, according to a copy of a plea agreement he reached with federal prosecutors.

Rodriguez was driving a vehicle with expired registration on Jan. 16, 2014, when he was stopped on the traffic violation by a Modesto police officer. Rodriguez was on probation at the time stemming from a prior firearms convictions in 2013 in Stanislaus County, according to the plea deal.

Police, during a subsequent search, found 21 rounds of ammunition and a .22-caliber revolver, according to the agreement.

Juan Valenzuela, 34, and Ernie Rodriguez, 39, both of Fresno, also appeared in federal court Monday on unrelated firearms charges. Valenzuela was sentenced to three years in prison for possessing a firearm after a conviction for a domestic violence misdemeanor. Ernie Rodriguez pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled Oct. 13.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 2:50 PM with the headline "Modesto man sentenced in federal firearms case."