BOISE – Ruben Nungaray, 30, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 92 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Nungaray to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and forfeit a .375 single-shot rifle found in his possession. Nungaray pled guilty to the charge on July 20, 2011.

According to court proceedings, Nungaray is a former member of the “Brown Magic Clica” (BMC) street gang, a gang law enforcement considers significantly more violent than other gangs operating in the Treasure Valley. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, on January 5, 2010, Nungaray sold four handguns to an undercover police officer in Boise. Nungaray admitted that approximately three weeks later, on January 26, he was found in possession of a rifle, which law enforcement officers discovered as the result of a probation and parole visit to Nungaray's residence. Because Nungaray had previously been convicted in 2004 of aggravated assault in Payette County, Idaho, a felony punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.

The case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Meridian Police Department.

The case was brought as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho. Nungaray was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southeast Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.