San Diego

A former J. David & Co. investor, who last January brought a loaded handgun into the federal courthouse on his way to a settlement conference, was sentenced Monday to 10 days in jail.

Nicholas Valentino, 39, a La Jolla real estate developer, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Enright, who could have sent Valentino to jail for 30 days, as Assistant U.S. Atty. Laura Birkmeyer had recommended.

Valentino told Enright he had forgotten that the gun was in his briefcase when he entered the courthouse on Jan. 9 and put the briefcase through an X-ray device during a routine inspection in the courthouse foyer. Valentino said he found the gun 19 1/2 years ago in New Jersey, and has never fired it.

“I’m not a criminal,” Valentino told the judge.”It was something I forgot. I had no idea that gun was in my case.” He said he had intended to take the weapon to a gun shop to see if it worked.

Enright took a dim view of Valentino’s explanation. “You just can’t have loaded weapons in a courthouse,” said the judge. “I think people who bring guns into a courthouse should go to jail.”

Enright allowed Valentino to surrender to the Metropolitan Correctional Center on July 6.

Valentino pleaded guilty in February to bringing a weapon into the courthouse. Charges of making false statements concerning the weapon were dismissed at the sentencing.