Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Gary Wayne Stuckey, 56, of Stockton, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of ammunition, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Stuckey’s vehicle and observed several pounds of marijuana, plastic baggies, and digital scales on the floorboard of the vehicle. They also found a Polymer 80 handgun (a “ghost gun,” an assembled weapon lacking a serial number) wedged in between the driver’s seat and center console, later determined to contain six rounds of ammunition.  Stuckey is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions, including a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered over a pound of methamphetamine, as well as cocaine and ecstasy.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett is prosecuting the case.

If convicted of the drug charge, Stuckey faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of ammunition charge, Stuckey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any 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 being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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