A 48-year-old man who escaped the Nevada Correctional Facility in Carson City months before it was permanently closed was convicted in federal court Thursday of being a felon in possession of a firearm, said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Christopher Lee Lang, 48, of Grass Valley, Calif. entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Morrison C. England, according to a news release.
The case was part of an extensive investigation by the FBI, state and local law enforcement in and around Nevada County, Calif., and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Rodriguez.
On Oct. 24, 2012, law enforcement attempted to make contact with Lang after observing him commit traffic violations. Lang was apprehended after leading law enforcement on a high speed chase through Nevada County streets and crashing his vehicle near the front yard of a residence.
According to court documents, law enforcement fired at Lang after they observed him reaching towards his rear waistband. Law enforcement later patted down, located, and removed Lang's fully loaded firearm from his rear waistband. Lang initially lied to law enforcement, providing a false name and date of birth.
Subsequent to his arrest, Lang stated he traded a line of methamphetamine in exchange for the firearm. At the time of his arrest, Lang was a fugitive from the state of Nevada. Lang had escaped earlier in 2012 from the Nevada Correctional Facility in Carson City, Nev.
Lang was remanded after entry of his guilty plea. His sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2013. Lang faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Lang also faces a possible $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.