Twin Cities Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

MINNEAPOLIS - A Twin Cities man has pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.

According to his plea agreement and court documents, on October 7, 2022, a Minnesota State Patrol officer stopped Salvador Anthony Pacheco, 45, for multiple traffic violations. During the interaction, the officer smelled marijuana in the car and requested a drug-sniffing dog, which alerted officers to additional drugs in Pacheco's vehicle. A search of the car and its contents revealed a Kahr .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol inside the defendant's backpack. Because Pacheco has prior felony convictions, including murder, assault, and weapons violations, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.

Pacheco pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of a firearm as a felon in U.S. District Court. He will be sentenced at a later date.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the Minnesota State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.