Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Lane Winslett, 66, of Corning, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to three years in prison to be followed by a year of supervised release for unlawfully dealing in and manufacturing firearms without a license, selling a firearm to a convicted felon, and possession of an unregistered firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Winslett was a firearms trafficker who sold hundreds of firearms and silencers without a license to deal in or manufacture firearms. Winslett purchased firearm parts online and from licensed dealers, privately manufactured firearms using his home equipment and tools, and sold completed firearms to other people. In 2020, Winslett sold an AR‑15 style privately made firearm to a customer whom Winslett knew was prohibited from possessing firearms because the customer had previously been convicted of a felony.

Winslett also sold silencers, which he falsely labeled as “fuel filters” or “solvent traps.” In 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a parcel addressed to Winslett’s house in Corning. The package contained 25 firearm silencers that were erroneously described as “car fuel filters.” ATF tested the items and determined they were all firearms silencers. Law enforcement later searched Winslett’s home and found 36 silencers, over 30 firearms, additional firearms parts, ammunition, and tools used to privately manufacture firearms.

Winslett did not and does not have a license to deal in firearms, and none of the silencers he possessed were registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Justin Lee prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Lane Winslett, 66, of Corning, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to three years in prison to be followed by a year of supervised release for unlawfully dealing in and manufacturing firearms without a license, selling a firearm to a convicted felon, and possession of an unregistered firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Winslett was a firearms trafficker who sold hundreds of firearms and silencers without a license to deal in or manufacture firearms. Winslett purchased firearm parts online and from licensed dealers, privately manufactured firearms using his home equipment and tools, and sold completed firearms to other people. In 2020, Winslett sold an AR‑15 style privately made firearm to a customer whom Winslett knew was prohibited from possessing firearms because the customer had previously been convicted of a felony.

Winslett also sold silencers, which he falsely labeled as “fuel filters” or “solvent traps.” In 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized a parcel addressed to Winslett’s house in Corning. The package contained 25 firearm silencers that were erroneously described as “car fuel filters.” ATF tested the items and determined they were all firearms silencers. Law enforcement later searched Winslett’s home and found 36 silencers, over 30 firearms, additional firearms parts, ammunition, and tools used to privately manufacture firearms.

Winslett did not and does not have a license to deal in firearms, and none of the silencers he possessed were registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily G. Sauvageau and Justin Lee prosecuted the case.

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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.