A well-known Fresno gang member faces federal charges for tossing a loaded “ghost” 40-caliber pistol when approached by police officers recently.
A federal grand jury indicted Keith Breazell, 31, for being a felon in possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said in a news release Thursday.
If convicted, Breazell faces as many as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Ghost guns are weapons without serial numbers and thus untraceable. Breazell’s gun was found inside a satchel found near where he was arrested, officers said.
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Breazell Convicted of Assault in 2014
Breazell is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his criminal history.
In 2014, he was convicted of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. He also has two convictions for illegal possession of firearms.
In 2013, Breazell and a passenger fled from police down the wrong way of Cedar Avenue near Fresno State before crashing into another car.
At that time, police wanted to question Breazell about a shooting 10 days earlier. After Breazell crashed the car, a Fresno police officer fired a round, striking both Breazell and the passenger. The crash and the officer-involved shooting attracted widespread media attention.
The FBI and the Fresno Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is the prosecutor.
In 2005, Breazell’s father, Keith Delray Breazell, 37, was killed outside Birney Elementary School just as kindergartners were leaving campus. Police called it a gang-retaliation killing.
The senior Breazell faced felony charges at the time of his death.
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