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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Jan. 5, 2009
TOPEKA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TURNING GUN ON FIREARMS DEALER
TOPEKA, KAN. – Jacob A. Avila, 23, Topeka, Kan., has pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch said today.
In his plea, Avila admitted that on Nov. 8, 2007, he robbed at gunpoint an employee of JM Company Unlimited, LLC, a federally licensed firearms dealer in Topeka.
According to court documents, Avila entered the business and asked to see a Smith & Wesson Model 1911, .45 caliber handgun. When the employee handed the gun to Avila, he loaded it, pointed it at the employee, and demanded all the money from the cash register.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 18, 2009. He faces a penalty of not less than 7 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Welch commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough for their work on the case.
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