A federal grand jury in Fresno returned a six-count indictment last week against a 28-year-old man accused of trashing and stealing from a residence in Yosemite National Park while staying there without the owner’s permission during the summer of 2021, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced in a news release.
Devin Michael Cuellar, whom the release identified as a transient convicted felon, was charged by the jury with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, being a drug addict in possession of a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition, destruction of property, receiving stolen property, theft, and making a false statement to park rangers.
Cuellar faces up to 19 years in prison and $750,000 in fines for all of the charges if convicted, the release stated, adding that any sentence would be determined at the court’s discretion after considering any applicable statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines.
According to court documents, Cuellar is suspected of breaking into a private home on Koon Hollar Road in Wawona and squatting there for several months, during which he allegedly trashed the residence and stol a toolbox, flat screen TV, wrought-iron candle holders, tools and other items.
The release stated items stolen from other alleged victims in Wawona were also found at the residence, in addition to a sawed-off shotgun with Cuellar’s DNA and ammunition.
Cuellar’s prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for carjacking and possessing drugs for sale, as well as being an unlawful user of methamphetamine and heroin, according to the release.
Yosemite National Park investigated the case with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, U.S. Marshals Service, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Forensic Service, and Madera County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is the lead prosecutor on the case, which is being tried in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
The case is part of a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence.
On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening the program based on the following 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, the release stated.
