FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
CONTACT: CHRISTINA DiIORIO-STERLING
PHONE: (617)748-3356
E-MAIL: USAMA.MEDIA@USDOJ.GOV
RHODE ISLAND MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY RENTING A FIREARM AT A SHOOTING RANGE
BOSTON, MA - A Providence, Rhode Island man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Acting United States Attorney Michael K. Loucks and Glenn N. Anderson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives - Boston Field Division announced that JESUS VAZQUEZ, A/K/A Jesus Vazquez-Barreras, age 26, of Providence, Rhode Island, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. VAZQUEZ pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a weapon on May 26, 2009.
At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that on September 13, 2005, VAZQUEZ had been convicted in Providence (Rhode Island) Superior Court of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, as a result of which he had served four months in prison followed by a period of probation. As a consequence of that felony conviction, VAZQUEZ was prohibited from thereafter possessing any firearms. On May 1, 2006, VAZQUEZ rented and fired a Glock .9 millimeter semi-automatic pistol at a firing range in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. When VAZQUEZ rented the weapon, he lied on the gun rental form, falsely declaring that he did not have a prior felony conviction and that he was not on probation. In 2006, when VAZQUEZ learned that he had been indicted for being a felon in possession, he fled to his native Puerto Rico and remained there until November 4, 2008, when he was arrested at the airport, attempting to return to the United States under an assumed name.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Tabak of Loucks’ Organized Crime Strike Force Unit.
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