Ortiz Sentenced for Felon Firearm Possession & Land Damage

FRESNO, Calif. — In a relentless pursuit of justice, U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neil sentenced Gary Lee Ortiz, 42, of Auberry, to three years and one month in prison for his audacious crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.

But the grim tale doesn’t end there. Ortiz was also hit with a heavy financial penalty—ordered to pay $5,200 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service—for inflicting damage upon public land and natural resources during his marijuana cultivation activities near his residence in Auberry’s Mill Creek area.

According to court documents, on June 8, 2015, a large-scale marijuana operation was uncovered in the Sierra National Forest, mere four and one half miles from Shaver Lake. The operation was adjacent to Ortiz’s property. Following this discovery, agents seized four firearms during an investigation into Ortiz’s land. Three were found around his trailer; one, a Herbert Schmidt model E 15 revolver, bore an obliterated serial number.

At the time of the seizure, Ortiz was on probation for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle—a crime that should have served as a stern warning to him. Law enforcement officers worked tirelessly, eradicating a staggering 12,302 marijuana plants from public land and 444 from Ortiz’s property.

This case is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and Fresno County Probation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar was instrumental in prosecuting this case.

Ortiz’s sentence serves as a stark reminder that the consequences for felons who continue to break the law are severe, especially when it involves firearms and public lands.

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