Fresno Man Pleads Guilty After Mistaking Undercover Officer for a Prostitute

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 5 months ago on

March 25, 2025

Ghost gun examples pictured above. Donald Henderson, 30, of Fresno, pleaded guilty Monday, March 24, 2025, to being a felon in possession of ammunition after throwing a loaded ghost gun out of a vehicle during a police chase in Clovis. (AP File)

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A Fresno man pleaded guilty Monday to being a felon in possession of ammunition after attempting to sell a rifle to an undercover officer while mistakenly believing the officer was a prostitute, federal prosecutors said.

Donald Henderson, 30, admitted to possessing a privately manufactured firearm, commonly known as a ghost gun, with a loaded high-capacity magazine, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced Monday.

Authorities said Henderson arranged the sale in Clovis on Sept. 4, 2024. When officers arrived, he entered a vehicle and fled, leading to a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, Henderson threw the rifle out of the car, prosecutors said.

Henderson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to previous felony convictions in Fresno County, including burglary and illegal firearm possession.

Homeland Security Investigations and Clovis police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting.

Henderson is set to be sentenced June 23. He faces up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, prosecutors said.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.