Vallejo Man Indicted for Being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against Nichiatari Palmer, 35, of Vallejo, charging him with being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on June 26, 2026, law enforcement deputies encountered Palmer while he was sitting in the driver's seat of a parked car with the door open. When the deputies approached, they noticed a black AR-15-style rifle with an extended magazine in the driver's footwell. The firearm had a live round in the chamber and 37 rounds of ammunition in the extended magazine. A search of the car found two more magazines containing 56 additional rounds. Palmer is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions including vehicle theft, burglary, and second degree robbery.

The Solano County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Palmer faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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