Gabriel Quintero, a 32-year-old resident of Yuba City, has been sentenced to a 10-year prison term. Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley delivered the sentence in connection to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. This announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith.
Court records indicate that in August 2024, Quintero was found with multiple firearms and methamphetamine, which he planned to distribute. During a high-speed chase with law enforcement in Sacramento, Quintero collided with a stationary vehicle at a stoplight and fled on foot before being captured. His possession at the time included over $30,000 in cash, a range of loaded firearms—one converted into a machine gun, 646 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills, 109 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, and six cellphones. Quintero, a previously convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The investigation leading to Quintero's arrest and subsequent sentence was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau.
This case forms part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aiming to reduce violent crime and enhance safety in communities by uniting different levels of law enforcement. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice introduced a strategy to intensify PSN efforts by building trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and evaluating their outcomes.