A former Pasadena police lieutenant pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of selling more than 100 guns without a license and making false statements during a gun purchase.
Vasken Kenneth Gourdikian, 48, of Sierra Madre, resigned from the Pasadena Police Department in March after a 22-year career, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, he is expected to be sentenced Feb. 4 to 30 months in prison, but his attorney said he plans to ask U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson for a more lenient sentence.
Prosecutors said Gourdikian used his position to buy “off-roster” weapons that were not publicly available, selling them at a profit to members of the public through third-party transfers.
The ex-officer “made a business of dealing firearms without a license, in part, by abusing exemptions made available to him under California law as a sworn peace officer,” according to the plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court
Gourdikian also admitted falsely certifying on official forms that he was the buyer of a firearm when he had already agreed to sell the weapon, the agreement states.
“Mr. Gourdikian used his position as a law enforcement officer to purchase firearms generally not available to the public so he could turn around and illegally sell them for profit,” U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said. “His actions clearly violated federal law and introduced unauthorized firearms into the community. By his participating in these illegal acts, Gourdikian compromised public safety and violated the public’s trust.”
In exchange for Gourdikian’s guilty plea and agreement to forfeit 68 weapons, prosecutors agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no more than 30 months. The recommendation, however, will not be binding on Wilson, who could impose a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.