Oceanside gang member with 13 priors gets 8-year sentence for gun possession
A self-admitted gang member with 13 prior criminal convictions was sentenced to eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Dante Ulanday - News Moderator 
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- An Oceanside man was sentenced in federal court in San Diego to eight years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Gary Russell Bartlett Jr., of Oceanside, a self-admitted gang member with 13 prior criminal convictions according to police, was sentenced in federal court Friday to 96 months in prison, the Department of Justice reports.
On Sept. 18, 2024, officers with the Oceanside Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit tried to pull over a Cadillac that Bartlett was driving that didn't have a front license plate, according to a government sentencing memorandum.
The DOJ reports officers recognized Bartlett as a member of the Varrios Mesas Locos and knew that he was on parole for convictions of assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and resisting arrest.
As officers tried to pull over Bartlett’s vehicle for the license plate violation, police reported he kept driving through a commercial parking lot, across an intersection and through residential neighborhoods at high speeds.
The courts also noted the video of the police chase shows Bartlett at one point driving on the wrong side of a median near a child on a bicycle.
The police chase ended when Bartlett lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a palm tree on the side of the road, causing his car to roll down an embankment.
Bartlett threw out a 9mm Makarov firearm from the vehicle as police approached the car, the court reports. Police also found 33.59 grams of cocaine, 9.31 grams of methamphetamine, 9.32 grams of mushrooms and a digital scale during a search of the vehicle. Bartlett also had more than $1,300 in cash on him at the time.
Police took Bartlett into custody, facing state firearm and drug offenses. He was released on pretrial supervision while that case was pending and was ordered to wear a state-issued ankle
location monitor.
However, on Nov. 24, 2024, Bartlett was taken into federal custody when he was arrested by the United States Border Patrol while transporting undocumented individuals that had been seen entering his vehicle in an area near the border between the United States and Mexico, the DOJ reports. He was wearing his state-issued location monitor at the time, the court reports.
The DOJ reports Bartlett was charged federally with unlawful firearm possession following an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and multiple prior felony convictions.
“Our office will continue to federally prosecute armed gang members who engage in drug dealing,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “This strong sentence makes Oceanside safer. We are thankful for the assistance from ATF and the Oceanside Police Department in ensuring this dangerous gang member faced the certainty of federal punishment.”
“This case speaks to the core of the ATF mission and commitment to protect the public from the
most violent offenders,” said ATF Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Kenny Cooper. “Our partnership with the Oceanside Police Department and the USAO helps ensure that individuals who are a threat to the community are held accountable for their actions.”
“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for their unwavering pursuit of accountability and commitment to justice,” said Oceanside Police Chief Taurino Valdovinos. “Their efforts have played a vital role in making Oceanside a safer and more secure place for all.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
