A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City has indicted Gerardo Lopez-Gutierrez, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States, on charges related to firearms and immigration violations. The 44-year-old from Salt Lake County was initially charged by complaint on March 6, 2025.
Court documents reveal that law enforcement approached Lopez-Gutierrez on March 4, 2025, for unlawful camping. During this encounter, he was found with a Ruger AR-556 rifle reported stolen from Moab, Utah. Due to a prior conviction for re-entry of a previously removed alien in the District of Arizona, Lopez-Gutierrez is prohibited from possessing firearms. Consequently, he was taken into custody.
Lopez-Gutierrez faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, an alien in possession of a firearm, and illegal re-entry of a previously removed alien. His initial court appearance is set for March 14, 2025, at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah. The case is under investigation by an FBI Task Force Officer with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland will prosecute the case as part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aiming to combat illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.