POCATELLO – Jesus Esqueda-Soto, 28, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for being an alien in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Esqueda-Soto to serve two years of supervised release following his prison term. He pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2011.

According to court documents, on October 23, 2010, Esqueda-Soto was located by police in Idaho Falls pursuant to an arrest warrant for a probation violation. After a short chase, police searched Esqueda-Soto's car and discovered a 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun. Esqueda-Soto admitted to shooting the gun in the hills with a friend the day before he was arrested. Esqueda-Soto also admitted to being illegally and unlawfully in the United States.

The case was investigated by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Falls office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).