United States of America v. Bernard McEllen Welch

Portland, Oregon criminal defense attorney represented defendant charged with felony possession of a firearm.



Bernard McEllen Welch, 33, was indicted for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.



According to court documents, on May 21, 2020, a Salem Police officer pulled a car over for a traffic violation when Welch jumped from the vehicle's rear passenger door and ran away. The officer called for backup and stayed with the vehicle. A nearby resident alerted police that a man had jumped into his backyard. Officers searched the area and located Welch hiding under a bush.



After Welch was arrested, officers returned to the home where the resident had reported seeing Welch enter his backyard. They located a discarded pistol with an obliterated serial number and a chambered round. In an adjacent property, they located a loaded magazine compatible with the pistol. Investigators at the Oregon State Forensic Laboratory later matched DNA found on the firearm with a sample collected from Welch.



At the time of his arrest, Welch had prior state felony convictions for assaulting a public safety officer, second-degree robbery with a firearm, third-degree assault, and third-degree robbery.



On August 5, 2020, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a one-count indictment charging Welch with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On September 16, 2021, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.



This case was investigated by the Salem Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.



18:922(g)(1) and 924(e) Felon in Possession of a Firearm - Armed Career Criminal

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Defendant was sentenced to 120 months' in prison.