A federal jury in Tacoma convicted a known Vancouver gang member Thursday of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Herbert D. Zeno, 33, in recorded telephone calls from Clark County Jail, tried to persuade his girlfriend to hide his gun from law enforcement.
He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton in Tacoma on Jan. 31. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Zeno was arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail on Jan. 31, 2013.
The recorded phone calls resulted in a court-authorized search for the firearm. Police officers found the weapon hidden under a dresser in the home of Zeno’s mother.
He was charged Feb. 19.
The jury found him guilty after a three-day trial.
He was previously convicted of drug possession in 2003 and 2005, robbery in 2002 and illegal firearm possession in 2002. Felons are prohibited from possessing firearms.
Zeno has tattoos identifying him as a Bloods gang member. The firearm was found wrapped in a red Bloods bandana.
The FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes Vancouver police officers and Clark County Sheriff’s deputies, investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives assisted with the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Thomas Bates prosecuted Zeno.
