RODERICK TERRELL FOUNTAIN INDICTED

HOUSTON, TX – Roderick Terrell Fountain, 31, has been indicted for unlawfully possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense in violation of federal law, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today. The indictment, returned on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, by a Houston federal grand jury, charges that on or about April 11, 2006, Fountain, who has been previously convicted of a felony, unlawfully possessed a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun. Fountain has been ordered held in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings, and is expected to next appearance in federal court for arraignment on a date in the near future to be set by the court.

Fountain was first charged with the federal firearms offense on April 20, 2006, by criminal complaint. The affidavit in support of that complaint alleged that Fountain, who was reportedly convicted in August 1997 in Alameda County, California, of felony robbery, possessed a Mossberg, model 600, 12 gauge shotgun. The firearm was reportedly found among Fountain’s possessions in an apartment he shared with his wife. Convicted felons are prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm. If convicted, Fountain faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The federal prosecution of Fountain is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice gun violence reduction initiative, which partners federal, state and local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who illegally possess or use firearms and ammunition. As part of its prosecutorial efforts, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas has partnered with local District Attorneys in the area to ensure that firearm-related cases are reviewed and prosecuted in the forum where the offender will receive the stiffest sentence allowed by law. The Southern District has primarily concentrated its resources on prosecuting convicted felons who possess firearms, illegal aliens in possession of firearms, individuals who traffic firearms, and those individuals who carry or use firearms in relation to drug crimes or crimes of violence.

This case was investigated by the Houston Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas Davis and Gregg Costa.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law