Nevada Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison

FORT WAYNE - Joseph R. Quinones, 31 years old, of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Quinones was sentenced to 150 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.

According to documents in the case, on November 14, 2023, the Fort Wayne Police Department was dispatched to a local fast-food restaurant regarding an individual with a firearm. Quinones, upset he could not order lunch items during the breakfast service, displayed a firearm and threatened employees. Law enforcement apprehended Quinones near the restaurant and located a loaded firearm on his person. Quinones has a prior felony conviction, as such, he is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Teresa L. Ashcraft.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.