RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – A former United Parcel Service driver who was convicted of federal gun trafficking charges for stealing dozens of guns going through the shipping company’s Ontario hub was sentence to three years and five months in prison, officials stated.
Curtis Ivory Hays II provided the weapons to another man who sold them on the street was sentenced Monday to three years and five months, according to authorities.
U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips sentenced Hays, 37, of Rancho Cucamonga.
Hays was a package truck driver for UPS who made deliveries in the Rancho Cucamonga area, officials said.
Hays was found guilty in January of 15 counts – conspiracy, six counts of theft of firearms, six counts of receipt and possession of stolen firearms, and two counts of theft of interstate shipments.
Hays allegedly sold some of the firearms to Dennis Dell White Jr., 35, of Moreno Valley who plead guilty last year to one count of theft of firearms. White is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
He is facing 10 years in federal prison.
One weapon was used to shoot at officers in an unrelated incident in 2012, officials said.
The evidence at trial indicated the following, according to federal officials.
- Hays stole a series of packages containing guns that were supposed to be delivered to Turner’s Outdoorsman in Rancho Cucamonga.
- From May through October of 2012, Hays stole six shipments containing a total of 72 firearms.
Hays gave the stolen firearms to White, who illegally sold the weapons to other individuals, and some of the guns were then sold to others. - The firearms included 12-gauge shotguns and .45-caliber handguns.
- Hays also stole shipments containing jewelry and mobile phones that were supposed to be delivered to Costco in Rancho Cucamonga, and this merchandise also was given to White.
In a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, prosecutors noted the danger Hays’ conduct posed to public safety: A stolen firearms made its way to Isaac Arriaga, who used the .22-caliber handgun to shoot at three police officers at the conclusion of a high-speed chase in Baldwin Park in 2012.
“By sheer luck no officers or civilians were hurt during Arriaga’s pursuit,” prosecutors wrote. “But individuals like Arriaga would not be able to pose such an extreme threat to the community if they did not have access to black market firearms. [Hays] not only stole the firearms in this case, which [was] reprehensible enough, but he partnered with White to supply the black market and directly contributed to Arriaga’s actions,” according to the memorandum.
The investigation into the stolen firearms was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in conjunction with the Ontario Police Department and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.