By Devin Fry
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Fargo man with two prior domestic violence convictions has been federally indicted for illegally possessing a firearm during a July incident where witnesses said he pointed an AR-style pistol at people in a parking lot.
Antonio Lamont Lopez Jr. was charged in U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota with possession of a firearm by a person convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence. The federal indictment was filed Sept. 18.
The charges stem from a July 13 incident in the Bell Bank parking lot at 15 Broadway N in Fargo. Fargo Police officers were on patrol when they noticed a disturbance involving a pickup truck and a group of people.
Witnesses report gun threat
A man immediately approached officers and told them the pickup driver had pulled a gun on people in the parking lot, according to the police report. Another man who witnessed the incident said Lopez pulled out a gun with a magazine inserted and pointed it at people.
Officer David Wheeler performed a high-risk traffic stop on Lopez’s pickup truck at the intersection of 8th Street and 4th Avenue N. Lopez complied with commands and was arrested.
Loaded weapon recovered
Wheeler found a black AR-15 style pistol in the center of the rear floorboard of Lopez’s vehicle. The gun had a loaded magazine with 24 rounds of .223/5.56 ammunition and an unfired round in the chamber. The weapon’s safety was engaged.
Police collected the firearm, ammunition, and multiple DNA swabs as evidence. The weapon is an Alex Pro Firearms APF-15 .223 caliber AR-style pistol.
Prior convictions prohibit gun ownership
Lopez was previously convicted of Simple Assault – Domestic Violence in July 2019 and Domestic Violence – 2nd or Subsequent Offense in December 2023, both in Cass County. Federal law prohibits people convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from possessing firearms.
If convicted on the federal charges, Lopez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A jury trial for this case is scheduled to begin on December 2, 2025.
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