Fed grand jury indicts Vallejo man, 38, on drug, weapon charges

A federal grand jury on Friday in Sacramento returned a two-count indictment against a 38-year-old Vallejo man, charging him with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney for the  Eastern District of California said.

Christopher Matthew Rougeau will return to court for a status conference at 9 a.m. Aug. 22, when he will face Senior Judge William B. Shubb.

According to court documents, on April 20, 2022, Rougeau allegedly possessed methamphetamine, a pistol, and a short-barreled shotgun. He was previously convicted in a state court for multiple firearm and drug offenses, Phillip A. Talbert, the U.S. Attorney, said in a press release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg leads the prosecution.

If convicted, Rougeau faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10 million fine, but any sentence would be determined at the discretion of the court and federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The case stems from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

It is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, the centerpiece of the U.S. Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.

PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime, Talbert noted in the press statement.