Yuba City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearm Offenses

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabriel Quintero, 32, of Yuba City, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, in August 2024, Quintero possessed multiple firearms and methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to another person. Quintero was driving in Sacramento when he led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit for 10 minutes before crashing into another car that was parked at a stoplight. Quintero got out of his car and ran, but law enforcement officers apprehended him. Quintero possessed more than $30,000 in cash, multiple loaded firearms, including one equipped with a machine gun conversion device and loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition, 646 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills, 109 grams of cocaine, a digital scale; and six cellphones. Quintero is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau prosecuted the case.

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.