HONOLULU – Chad Gabris, age 41, of Mililani, Hawaii, was sentenced today to serve 52 months in federal prison for firearm offenses and witness tampering. Senior United States District Judge Susan O. Mollway ordered that Gabris’s federal sentence run consecutive to a State of Hawaii term of imprisonment for violating his state parole, and also imposed a three-year term of supervised release, to begin once Gabris is released from prison.
According to information presented to the court, Gabris, a tattoo-validated member of the “La Familia” prison gang and registered sex offender, was on parole with the State of Hawaii on October 8, 2019, when law enforcement found a Glock .40 S&W firearm and 70 rounds of ammunition hidden in his car in Mililani. Gabris’ DNA was on the firearm and his palmprint on a box containing some of the ammunition. Four prior felony convictions, two for sexual assault and two for breaking into a motor vehicle, prevented Gabris from legally possessing the firearm and ammunition. As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Gabris admitted that he possessed the firearm and ammunition, knowing he was a convicted felon.
As part of his guilty plea, Gabris also admitted that, after his arrest, he corruptly persuaded both his mother and the mother of his children to lie to federal investigators to shield him from criminal prosecution. Gabris persuaded both women to tell federal investigators, falsely, that the firearm and ammunition did not belong to Gabris and that his mother purchased them from a homeless man in a parking lot. Gabris assured his mother that if she was arrested for possessing the firearm and ammunition, she would not spend more than a year in jail and that he would make arrangements to bail her out.
“Our office is firmly committed to prosecuting convicted criminals who illegally keep guns,” said U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors. “A core objective of the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort is to protect the community from an armed defendant who has a prior association with a prison gang and is a registered sex offender with sexual assault convictions.
“The sentencing today sends a strong message that convicted felons should never be in possession of any firearms as they are a menace to our society,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “The FBI is grateful to work with the Hawaii Department of Public Safety – Sheriff Division, Honolulu Police Department, and the Hawaii Paroling Authority as we continue to combat violent crimes across our state to protect the public and hold those accountable for such acts.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develops comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hawaii Department of Public Safety, Sheriff Division, with the assistance of the Honolulu Police Department and the Hawaii Paroling Authority. The prosecution is handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne A. Myers.
