TUCSON, Arizona. (LAWFUEL) – On February 11, 2009, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a sixty-eight count indictment against ten defendants for violations of Conspiracy and False Statements in the Acquisition of Firearms from Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers. The defendants named in the indictment are Aldo Arizmendiz, Joel Arizmendiz, Jose Omar Arizmendiz, Juan Carlos Medina Duarte, Alejandro Medrano, Jesus Medrano, Michael Moreno, Alejandro Posada, Hernan Ramos, and Seth Rutledge.
The indictment alleges that from February 2008 through November 2008, the defendants falsely represented that they were the actual purchasers of approximately one hundred twelve firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in the Tucson and Phoenix area. The indictment alleges that the defendants crossed the international border between Mexico and the United States at the Douglas Port of Entry on numerous occasions surrounding the purchases and that Mexican law enforcement has recovered four of the firearms in Mexico.
A conviction for Conspiracy and False Statements in Acquisition of Firearms carries a maximum penalty of five years, a $250,000 fine or both. In determining an actual sentence, the federal district judge will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.
An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Mesa Police Department assisted in the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-09-0185-TUC-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2009-040(Arizmendiz, et al)
