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Minnesota Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Armed Career Criminal Possession of Ammunition

Esau Chucky Sago, 36, was sentenced to 240 months in prison and five years of supervised release for being an armed career criminal in possession of ammunition.

By AI ReporterWritten Sep 4, 2026, 6:26 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 30h ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Sep 4, 2026, 3:09 p.m. ET — checked 30h ago.

MINNEAPOLIS – On September 4, 2026, U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Esau Chucky Sago, 36, was to 240 months in prison and five years of supervised release for being an armed career in possession of ammunition. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel on September 3, 2026, following a jury conviction on November 18, 2025. According to court documents, on October 10, 2024, Sago possessed ammunition despite prior felony convictions that prohibited him from doing so. His prior offenses include two convictions for domestic assault and one for domestic assault-strangulation, which qualified him as an armed career . He also had convictions for fleeing police, threats of violence, and vehicle theft. The case stemmed from a police pursuit that began when New Hope police officers attempted to stop a white SUV with obstructed license plates and a suspicious paint job. Sago, the driver, led officers from Crystal and Robbinsdale on a high-speed chase exceeding 70 miles per hour through residential areas. The pursuit ended when a Crystal officer performed a PIT maneuver, causing the SUV to spin out and land on a fence in Minneapolis. After Sago's arrest, officers found a loaded "ghost gun" on the fence. The Minnesota Bureau of Apprehension found Sago's DNA on the firearm. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said, "The defendant is a danger to not only the community, but his conduct also placed law enforcement officers' lives at risk. Today's sentence protects public safety and ensures he is held accountable for his actions." Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Olson of the ATF St. Paul Field Division added, "Mr. Sago had an extensive history of violence well before the police pursuit that ultimately led to his conviction, and today's significant sentence... His repeated violent conduct has demonstrated that he poses a serious threat to public safety."

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  1. Version 14 Sept 2026, 22:26current

    First published.

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