SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Ruben Valdez, 26, of Stockton, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and illegal possession of a machine gun, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, on Nov. 13, 2017, Valdez was found in possession of a stolen Glock, Model 20 handgun, with a selector switch designed to convert a semi‑automatic firearm to a fully automatic machine gun. Valdez is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior felony convictions.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Stockton Police Department, and the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Cameron L. Desmond are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Valdez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
