According to federal prosecutors, a former member of the California National Guard who was part of a counter-narcotics task force shared information about upcoming raids with a drug dealer and smuggled untraceable firearms to her associates.
Ruby Celie Uribe, 37, of Sacramento, was convicted by a jury Tuesday of illegally possessing a machine gun and an unregistered short-barreled rifle, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
But during the trial, it was also revealed that Uribe had leaked information about upcoming drug raids to a person she knew to be involved in drug dealing while she was a member of the task force, according to the news release. Cellphone text messages recovered from the drug dealer’s phone in the operation revealed that Uribe was sharing sensitive information, including the time and location of a potential drug raid and how many units would respond.
The firearms were found through a federal search warrant of his home. The short barreled rifle was deemed illegal because it did not meet the minimum federal requirement of 16 inches. Additionally, the rifle was modified to fire in full-automatic mode as a machine gun and had no serial number – commonly known as a ghost gun. More cellphone data also revealed that Uribe had engaged in other ghost gun trafficking incidents, including from a co-worker on July 20, 2022.
While preparing the case, the FBI learned that Uribe sold another illegal gun in August 2022, officials said. The firearms have been recovered safely.
Uribe is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dana Coggins on September 11, and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, depending on the court’s discretion and federal sentencing guidelines.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative targeting illegal immigration and drug crimes.
