Honolulu man could face 15 years in prison for illegal firearm charges

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A Honolulu man could face 15 years in prison after he was federally charged on Thursday with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

The U.S. attorney’s office announced Friday that Chris Pham, 21, was charged by criminal complaint and is set to appear in federal court on March 20.

Officials said that on Wednesday, Pham was allegedly found with ammunition and a semi-automatic handgun with its serial number defaced.

During the search of Pham’s home, law enforcement allegedly found a machine gun conversion device that is designed to turn a semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun, officials said.

Pham was also allegedly seen by law enforcement in an Instagram video which showed him firing an automatic handgun into the air in public, officials said.

The attorney’s office said that in addition to jail time, the charge could result in a fine of up to $250,000.