Modesto Felon Indicted for Two Charges of Illegal Possession of a Firearm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Anthony Welch, 27, of Modesto, charging him with two counts of being a felon in possession of firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 1, 2026, Welch possessed a Glock 26 handgun, and on June 2, 2026, he possessed a Glock 23 Gen4 .40 caliber handgun. Welch is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction of assault with a deadly weapon with a firearm.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zulkar Khan is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Welch 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.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.