July 8, 2021 - FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Regino Garcia Jr., 20, and Anthony Martinez, 24, both of Tulare County, charging them with dealing firearms without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, distribution of methamphetamine and possession of auto-sear devices, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Garcia and Martinez met with undercover officers and sold them a total of 14 firearms and 40 auto-sear devices for converting a firearm into a fully automatic weapon. One of the firearms sold was a short-barreled rifle. Additionally, they sold methamphetamine to the undercover officers on three occasions. Neither defendant had a license to deal firearms.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel J. Montoya is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, both defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million 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 defendants are 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.
Source: DOJ Release