In federal court, Vallejo felon pleads to cocaine trafficking and gun possession – The Vacaville Reporter

A 31-year-old Vallejo man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to cocaine trafficking and gun possession, a DOJ official said.

Jacob Harding-Abeyta faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine for the gun charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $1 million fine for the drug charge when he is sentenced Sept. 10, said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. .

According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2020, a parole search of Harding-Abeyta's home resulted in the discovery of a loaded .45-caliber Springfield XDS firearm in his bedroom, said Talbert, who directs the Eastern District of California in Sacramento.

Harding-Abeyta is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has a prior conviction in Solano County for attempted murder in 2014.

During the search, officers also discovered 39 grams of powder cocaine, a digital scale, plastic bags and other drug paraphernalia. A search of his phone revealed he was selling this and other cocaine. Additionally, Harding-Abeyta also admitted in his plea agreement that he committed obstruction of justice by attempting to suborn the perjury, i.e., persuading him to commit perjury, of a witness during an earlier evidentiary hearing in this case, Talbert said.

The case stems from an investigation by the Solano County Sheriff's Office, the Solano County Prosecutor's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Task Force FBI Solano County Violent Crime Report.

Assistant United States Attorneys Haddy Abouzeid, Jason Hitt and Adrian T. Kinsella are prosecuting the case.

When sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez, Harding-Abeyta faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearm charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. $1 million for the drug charge.

The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the judge and according to federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone, a noted Talbert.