Brothers Sentenced For Possession Of Firearms Found At A Fresno County Marijuana Cultivation

FRESNO, Calif. — Rudy Alberto Gonzalez Rocha, 29, and his brother, Eloy Damian Gonzalez Rocha, 33, both of Jalisco, Mexico, were sentenced today in federal court for being aliens in possession of firearms seized from a marijuana cultivation site, U.S. Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

Rudy Gonzalez was sentenced to three years and one month in prison and Eloy Gonzalez was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. They are subject to deportation to Mexico upon completion of their sentence. Earlier this year, the Gonzalez brothers entered guilty pleas to being illegal aliens in possession of three firearms, one of which was reported stolen from Arkansas and another having an obliterated serial number. The guns were found during the execution of a narcotics search warrant at the men’s leased residence in Dunlap.

According to court documents, at the beginning of this year, Fresno County Sheriff deputies had been dispatched to the property to investigate several calls about people coming and going to and from the property, which had a strong odor of marijuana. Deputies seized 260 marijuana plants, more than 200 pounds of processed marijuana, and $17,120 in cash, along with the firearms. The defendants have agreed to the forfeiture of the money and guns. In addition to imposing sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony W. Ishii also ordered the forfeiture of the cash and firearms.

“The firearms seized from these defendants are a further testament to the fact that the criminal organizations involved in illegal marijuana cultivation operations have no qualms about using violence against those who get in their way,” said Mike Prado, resident agent in charge of HSI Fresno. “This case is also an important reminder about the important role federal and local collaboration plays in combatting this public safety threat and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice.”

This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.