Mexican National Admits Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm

BOISE – Ciro Simon-Camacho, 33, a Mexican National, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to the plea agreement, on May 18, 2014, Boise Police officers stopped a vehicle Simon-Camacho was driving. During the traffic stop, officers saw a handgun underneath his seat. Officers seized the handgun, which was loaded. During their investigation, law enforcement officers discovered that Simon-Camacho was unlawfully present in the United States and had been previously deported from the United States in 2002. Simon-Camacho is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his status as an alien unlawfully in the United States.

The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearm.

Simon-Camacho is scheduled to be sentenced on November 13, 2014, by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Metro Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole.

Simon-Camacho is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.