Edinburg man pleads guilty in firearms case after traffic stop leads to weapons

A traffic stop led authorities to discover various firearms for a man previously convicted of a felony, a news release from the Southern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

Last week, Christian Ruben Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of being a prohibitive person in possession of a firearm after authorities found firearms inside his residence.

“On April 29, 2020, authorities observed a vehicle departing (Chavez’s) residence in Edinburg and conducted a traffic stop. At that time, they found marijuana inside the vehicle,” the release stated.

Authorities subsequently searched Chavez’s residence and found a .40 caliber pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun, a 5.56 caliber rifle, approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, multiple high capacity magazines, body armor, 8 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana, marijuana plants, psychedelic mushrooms, a scale and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency.

Prior convictions for drug possession made it illegal for Chavez to possess a firearm.

The court accepted Chavez’s plea and set sentencing for Sept. 22.

Chavez, who remains free on a $25,000 bond, faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.


[email protected]