Press Release
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Kentucky
Louisville, KY – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced yesterday for the illegal possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Chief Sue Mudd of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement.
According to court document, Javier Michael Vega, 30, was sentenced to 4 years in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On June 29, 2021, in Washington County, Kentucky, Vega kidnapped a woman at gunpoint and ordered her into his vehicle by threatening to shoot her. At some point while Vega and the victim were driving around in Vega’s vehicle, Vega became angry and fired a round from one of the firearms. The Springfield Police Department, who had been given a description of Vega’s vehicle, initiated a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, police recovered two handguns. Vega was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Springfield Police Department and with assistance from the ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tieke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Updated October 19, 2023
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