Red Lake felon sentenced for possessing a firearm

On Thursday, Sept. 1, in federal court, a 24-year-old felon from Red Lake was sentenced to federal prison for possessing a .24-caliber rifle and a nine-millimeter pistol in July 2010 and a .22-caliber rifle in November 2010.

United States District Court Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced Fabian Wayne English to 110 months in prison on three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. English pleaded guilty to the crimes May 25.

In his plea agreement, English admitted that on July 21, 2010, he sold a nine-millimeter pistol to another person while on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. On July 22, 2010, police recovered a .24-caliber rifle from under English’s mattress during a consent search of his residence. In addition, English admitted that on Nov. 25, 2010, he led officers on a high-speed chase on the reservation. After several miles, police found English’s abandoned vehicle with a .22-caliber rifle and several boxes of ammunition on the front seat. English was later arrested at a nearby residence. English admitted that all three weapons were stolen.

Because he is a felon, English is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition at any time. English’s prior felonies include a 2006 federal conviction in the District of Minnesota for assault resulting in serious bodily injury and a 2010 state conviction in Becker County for fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Red Lake Tribal Police Department.

It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Dees.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, an initiative launched by the U.S. Justice Department in 2001 to promote a multi-jurisdictional comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime in America. PSN provides resources to strengthen law enforcement and United States Department of Justice crime prevention partnerships that are working to make streets and communities safer.