Evergreen Reporter

Donald Henderson, a 30-year-old resident of Fresno, has entered a guilty plea for being a felon in possession of ammunition related to his possession of a loaded ghost gun. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.

Court documents reveal that on September 4, 2024, Henderson attempted to sell a rifle to an undercover police officer in Clovis under the impression that the officer was a prostitute. When law enforcement arrived, Henderson fled as a passenger in a vehicle, leading to a high-speed chase during which he discarded the rifle out of the window. The firearm was identified as a ghost gun with a loaded high-capacity magazine. Due to previous felony convictions in Fresno County for burglary and illegal firearm possession, Henderson is legally barred from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The investigation into this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations alongside the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is handling the prosecution.

Henderson's sentencing is set for June 23, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff. He faces up to 15 years in prison and could be fined $250,000. However, the final sentence will be determined based on statutory factors and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

This case falls under the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program—a collaborative federal, state, and local initiative aimed at reducing violent crime through evidence-based strategies. PSN focuses on addressing significant violent crime issues within communities by targeting repeat offenders and collaborating with prevention and reentry programs for sustainable crime reduction.