Former National Guard Task Force Member Indicted for Illegal Firearm Possession That Came to Light During an Investigation Into Leaks of Sensitive Operational Info
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Ruby Celly Uribe, 34, of Antelope, charging her with illegal possession of a machine gun and a short-barreled rifle, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Uribe was assigned to the logistics shop at the California National Guard Headquarters in Mather and was a member of the Counterdrug Task Force (CDTF). The CDTF supports local, tribal and federal law enforcement entities in the interdiction of drug trafficking organizations. While assigned to this unit, Uribe leaked information about upcoming drug raids to a person she knew to be involved with drug dealing. Text messages recovered from Uribe’s phone revealed she shared sensitive information about upcoming operations, including the date and location and the number of military vehicles and aircraft involved.
A federal search warrant of Uribe’s residence resulted in the discovery of a short-barreled rifle. The firearm had been modified to fire in full-automatic mode as a machine gun. In addition, it was a privately made firearm with no serial number, commonly referred to as a ghost gun. A search of Uribe’s cellphone revealed that she was also engaged in trafficking other non‑serialized, short-barreled machine guns.
This case is the product of an investigation by the by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the California Military Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Uribe 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 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 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 gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
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