SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - California, Eastern), published as received.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Wayne Stuckey, 58, of Stockton, pleaded guilty today to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Stuckey’s vehicle and observed several pounds of marijuana inside the vehicle. A search revealed over 500 grams of methamphetamine and several items indicative of drug sales, including digital scales, plastic baggies, and hundreds of dollars of U.S. currency in small denominations. Wedged between the driver’s seat and center console of the vehicle was a Polymer 80 handgun, a privately made firearm or “ghost gun” lacking a serial number, that was loaded with a live round of ammunition in the chamber and five additional rounds in the magazine. Stuckey is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to multiple state felony convictions, including a prior conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alstyn Bennett and Whitnee Goins, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura are prosecuting the case.

Stuckey is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Stuckey faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will 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.

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.