Man accused of possessing firearms while illegally residing in the US pleads guilty

MISSOULA – A man who was in the country illegally and arrested at his Gallatin Gateway residence in April 2024 pleaded guilty to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, according to U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich.

In a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana, Laslovich said 25-year-old Oscar Enrique Ruiz Rojas pleaded guilty to illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The press release said Rojas was being investigated for cocaine trafficking and that police observed him outside his residence on two days in April with a gun on his hip.

Law enforcement reportedly executed a search warrant on April 24 and found several firearms and ammunition in Rojas' apartment.

The press release states that Rojas admitted to authorities that he had been in the United States illegally for six years since crossing the southern border at Nogales, Arizona.

Rojas also reportedly told authorities that he bought a .22 caliber firearm from a private individual for $400.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided over the trial and scheduled sentencing for December 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen.

Rojas was detained pending sentencing. He faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years probation, the press release said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.