A Clovis man faces up to 10 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of being in the United States illegally and in possession of a firearm. On November 7, 2013, after a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Jaswinder Singh, 24 of Clovis.

Singh was arrested in August 2012 while working at a liquor store in Fresno after California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents discovered a .45 caliber handgun next to a cash register and within a few feet of Singh.  Initially Singh gave a false name to the agents and claimed to be a naturalized U.S. citizen. Upon further questioning, he revealed that he had entered the United States in 2003 using a fraudulent passport.

In addition to ABC agents, this case was also investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

“ABC agents routinely work with local and federal law enforcement agencies in enforcing the law,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Having a gun in the open, next to a cash register and in the hands of someone who, by law, shouldn’t be in possession of one poses a threat to every person who walks into that store.”

Sing has been in custody since his arrest and is scheduled to be sentenced January 21, 2014.