San Jose man sentenced to 6 years for illegal gun possession

Authorities say Michael Lamb tossed a loaded handgun as he ran from officers

SAN JOSE – A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a 28-year-old San Jose man to six years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, authorities said.

Michael Anthony Lamb pleaded guilty to the charge last summer.

Lamb, according to court records, was drinking a can of beer at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light-rail station in San Jose on Feb. 6, 2018, when two law enforcement officers appeared. The officers waved and asked him to approach, but Lamb instead picked up his backpack and ran.

According to his plea agreement, Lamb ran because he was a convicted felon in possession of a firearm – a Kel-Tec PF-9 9mm pistol with seven full-metal jacket rounds in the magazine. Lamb tossed the gun and backpack into some bushes as he ran.

An officer caught and arrested Lamb, who was also found with about four grams of cocaine and a jar containing about 53 grams of marijuana, according to court records.

Prosecutors ended up charging Lamb with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy H. Koh ordered Lamb to serve a three-year period of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment.

Lamb has been in custody since March 11, 2019.