Southeast Montana News

A Billings man was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after admitting to possessing a firearm following a felony conviction, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced.

The defendant, Francisco Jose Nava, 31, pleaded guilty in March to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided over the case.

According to court documents, on August 21, 2023, Nava had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Law enforcement observed him in a pickup truck in Billings and attempted to pull him over. Nava fled but was eventually stopped through a maneuver by law enforcement officers who saw him reaching around the truck's interior. A .40-caliber handgun was found on the front passenger seat of the truck, and Nava had .40-caliber ammunition on his person. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions and was under supervision for a felony offense at the time.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case with investigations conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; Montana Division of Criminal Investigation; Montana Highway Patrol; and Montana Probation and Parole.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that unites all levels of law enforcement and communities to reduce violent crime and gun violence while making neighborhoods safer. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence before it occurs, setting focused strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.

###