BOISE – Arnulfo Villagomez-Franco, 37, a Mexican national formerly living in Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for being a deported alien illegally in the United States and unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Villagomez-Franco to forfeit the firearm. He pleaded guilty to the charges on March 5, 2012.

According to the plea agreement, on July 5, 2011, authorities searched Villagomez- Franco’s house, which resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun. Villagomez- Franco admitted that he knowingly possessed the shotgun. Court records show that on February 28, 1995, Villagomez-Franco was convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in Idaho, a felony offense punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. A search of federal immigration records determined that Villagomez-Franco was deported from the United States on April 6, 1998, and later re-entered the United States without lawful authority.

“This case is a result of excellent cooperation between local and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Olson. “We are confident that the benefits of such cooperation will continue to be felt as we work together to enforce federal immigration and gun laws.”

The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.