A 37-year-old felon caught with a modified assault rifle and other prohibited items in connection with an alleged home-based gun parts manufacturing operation in Jurupa Valley was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve a 32-month term.
Marco Antonio Ponce De Leon pleaded guilty on Monday to being a felon in possession of a gun under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped three related felony charges against De Leon.
Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the stipulated sentence of two years, eight months behind bars. The judge signed the prison commitment order on Tuesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to sheriff’s officials, deputies were tipped off to the defendant’s illicit manufacturing operation on Dec. 13, culminating in a search warrant being obtained and served at his residence in the 5000 block of Steve Avenue, near Jurupa Road.
“During the investigation … the following items were located and seized — 13 firearms, two of which had been reported stolen, and one short-barreled rifle, 20 3-D printed receivers, numerous (flash) suppressors and large-capacity magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a small quantity of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia,” according to an agency statement.
De Leon was taken into custody without incident.
According to court records, he had documented prior convictions for making criminal threats and being a felon with a gun.