Former Bullard High School Students Appear in Federal Court for Conspiracy to Traffic Firearms Across State Lines After Homeland Security Task Force Investigation
July 1, 2026 – FRESNO, CA – On June 25, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a four‑count indictment charging Harman Pahal, 21, Cameron Chouanmasay, 20, Colton Malone, 21, Julian Calderon, 20, and Jaskarn Batth, 20, all of Fresno, with participating in a years‑long firearms trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
The defendants were arraigned on Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Guy Castillo and entered pleas of not guilty. A status conference is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
According to court documents, between December 2024 and April 2026, the defendants conspired to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license, traveled across state lines to unlawfully acquire firearms, and illegally imported firearms into California. None of the defendants were licensed to deal, manufacture, or import firearms.
The indictment alleges that the defendants, who met while attending Bullard High School, used social media to advertise and sell firearms and repeatedly traveled from Fresno to Texas to obtain additional weapons for resale. During trips in December 2024, the defendants allegedly acquired multiple firearms—including Draco‑style AK‑type pistols and other handguns—and returned with them to California to sell.
They also allegedly discussed and attempted multiple firearm sales through online platforms. The indictment charges all five defendants with conspiracy, unlicensed dealing and manufacturing of firearms, interstate travel with intent to unlawfully deal firearms, and unlawful importation of firearms into California.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy to deal commit unlawful firearms dealing, engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and interstate importation of firearms without a license. They face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted of the count of interstate travel to unlawfully deal in firearms. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Source & photos: DOJ Release