Michele Beckwith Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California
Gabriel Quintero, a 32-year-old from Yuba City, has been sentenced to ten years in prison. Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley delivered the sentence following charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegal firearm possession. Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith released the announcement.
Court documents revealed that Quintero was in possession of multiple firearms and methamphetamine in August 2024, which he planned to distribute. While driving in Sacramento, he led officers on a 10-minute high-speed pursuit that ended when he collided with a parked car at a stoplight. Quintero then attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended by law enforcement officers. At the time of his arrest, authorities found more than $30,000 in cash on him, several loaded firearms, one of which had a machine gun conversion device with 26 rounds of ammunition, 646 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills, 109 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, and six cellphones. As a previously convicted felon, Quintero is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The investigation was carried out by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau prosecuted the case.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by uniting law enforcement and communities. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced a strategy to lower violent crime, reinforcing Project Safe Neighborhoods through principles like fostering community trust, supporting proactive community organizations, defining strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating outcomes.
