Former police officer and felon admits to illegally possessing firearm

McALLEN, Texas - A 44-year-old resident of McAllen, Texas, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

On June 25, 2023, Michael Gallegos-Martinez was driving a Cadillac CTS when he failed to come to a complete stop. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, at which time they noticed Gallegos-Martinez appeared nervous. He claimed there were no firearms or narcotics within the vehicle. However, a K-9 alerted, and authorities conducted search of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of a firearm Rossi, Model 461, .357 caliber magnum revolver in a grocery bag hanging from the gear shift. They also discovered 25 grams of cocaine, a bottle of Xanax pills and approximately $25,000 in cash.

The investigation revealed Gallegos-Martinez had previously served as a police officer before being convicted of a felony for possession of a controlled substance. As a felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition per federal law.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Feb. 2, 2025. At that time, Gallegos-Martinez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Alamo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.