RALEIGH - United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III, sentenced a husband and wife for their roles in purchasing firearms as a straw buyer and then transferring them to a suspected illegal alien for shipment to Honduras.  MARIE LEATHEAL GARCIA was sentenced on March 6, 2012, to 14 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.  Her husband, JOHN ANTHONY GARCIA, was sentenced on March 8, 2012, to 14 months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.

On June 21, 2011, a Federal Grand Jury returned a Criminal Indictment charging the couple.  On October 17, 2011, MARIE GARCIA, 53, pled guilty to making false statements in relation to the acquisition of a firearm.  That same day, JOHN GARCIA, 42, pled guilty to conspiring to purchase firearms illegally.
According to the Indictment, from February 11, 2010, to May 28, 2010, MARIE GARCIA, made false statements when executing the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Form 4473 to purchase or attempt to purchase Beretta 9mm handguns.  After each purchase, she and JOHN GARCIA delivered the weapons to another individual in exchange for $100. 

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosvies.  Assistant United States Attorney s. Katherine Burnette prosecuted the case.

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