McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Edinburg man has entered a guilty plea to being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
On April 29, 2020, authorities observed a vehicle departing Christian Ruben Chavez’s residence in Edinburg and conducted a traffic stop. At that time, they found marijuana inside the vehicle.
The investigation revealed Chavez had just sold the drugs to the driver at his residence.
Authorities subsequently searched his residence and found Chavez along with a .40 caliber pistol, 12-gauge shotgun, 5.56 caliber rifle, approximately 1000 rounds of ammunition, multiple high capacity magazines, body armor, eight pounds of vacuum sealed marijuana, marijuana plants, psychedelic mushrooms, a scale and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.
Chavez admitted to regularly smoking marijuana for the past five years and to possessing both the marijuana and firearms.
Authorities confirmed Chavez had multiple arrests and other adjudications for possessing controlled substances. As such, federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Chavez has also agreed to forfeit all the firearms and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez accepted the plea and set sentencing for Sept. 22. At that time, Chavez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Edinburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case.
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