US attorney: Illegal guns turn up in Fresno and beyond as part of scam in Bakersfield

Jim Guy
·2 min read
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A task force of Fresno police detectives and federal agents arrested a Bakersfield-area man on charges of unlawfully selling more than 100 guns, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

Many of the guns later turned up at crime scenes in Fresno as well as multiple states, the U.S attorney added.

Joshua Ruic Kimball, 40, is scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate Thursday in Fresno. Authorities said at least 102 firearms that were illegally sold were traced back to Kimball’s business called Show Off Sports LLC.

Kimball is accused of running what appeared to be a legal gun store while he was actually selling firearms without recording transactions, as well as not complying with mandatory waiting periods and failing to do background checks, according to a criminal complaint.

Talbert announced the arrest in a Wednesday news conference attended by Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama, District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani.

“The recovery of at least 102 firearms used in crimes from a single source in the western United States is a significant achievement,” said Balderrama, of the work by the Central Valley Crime Gun Task Force.

“These guns will no longer pose a threat to our community, and the individual responsible for their distribution will be held accountable.”

According to the complaint, Fresno police in April traced multiple guns recovered during investigations back to Kimball. They learned Kimball previously had a federal license to sell firearms in Missouri that he surrendered to the ATF in 2021.

He had also transferred ownership of hundreds of guns held under the license to himself. Those guns began showing up in crimes in California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico.

The complaint said a Fresno police and ATF investigation determined that he had obtained another federal firearms license and opened the Show Off Sports LLC store in Bakersfield.

There, he allegedly sold undercover officers multiple weapons, including a short barreled rifle and several silencers — both of which are illegal in California.

Kimball allegedly sold the weapons under the guise of making buyers part of a “sports association,” making legal sales paperwork unnecessary.

If convicted, Kimball faces up to 15 years in prison for firearms trafficking, 10 years in prison for trafficking in controlled firearms, and five years in prison for state firearms trafficking laws.