Wednesday, September 5, 2018

AZMEX EXTRA 5-9-18

AZMEX EXTRA 5 SEP 2018

Note:   "He had the money."    12,000 rounds gets pretty pricey. 
Thx


Rio Rican sentenced for ammo smuggling
Nogales International Sep 4, 2018   

https://www.nogalesinternational.com/news/rio-rican-sentenced-for-ammo-smuggling/article_cd79e794-ad68-11e8-a5b2-2be2a29b6c07.html 

A Rio Rico man was sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico.

Fernando Romero-Salgado, 38, was sentenced to 82 months in prison by U.S. Judge Raner C. Collins on Aug. 29 
after a jury found him guilty of two offenses: smuggling goods and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

Romero and co-defendant Alberto De La Cruz-Cano purchased 12,000 rounds of ammunition
– 10,000 Wolf 7.62x39mm bullets and 2,000 Augila .38 Super Auto ammo – 
from a dealer in Phoenix in December 2016, according to a pre-sentence memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Strange.

The pair intended to illegally export the ammunition to Mexico, and loaded it into Romero's vehicle, according to the memo. 
Romero then drove to Rio Rico, where law enforcement found him with the ammunition at his home. 
Romero reportedly admitted that he and De La Cruz had smuggled ammunition into Mexico on several prior occasions. 

Romero had previously been convicted of four felony offenses and was therefore prohibited from possessing ammunition by federal law.

Strange asked the judge to sentence Romero to 115 months in prison, citing his felony and misdemeanor convictions, parole violations
and failure to pay child support and attend substance abuse treatment.

"His lifestyle of crime indicates that the only way to protect the community from future offenses by the deferent is a lengthy term of incarceration,"
Strange wrote in her memo.

Defense lawyer Mark Willimann argued in his own memo that Romero was "merely a paid mule."

De La Cruz-Cano was the boss, he wrote. "He had the money. He had the connection. He needed help. And Romero was desperate for money."

Willimann said Romero was only paid $100 plus about $40 in gas money for driving the ammo from Phoenix to Rio Rico, 
which he did not know was illegal for him to do. He said Romero reported De La Cruz to police and 
De La Cruz was then caught with 8,500 rounds near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Willimann, who repeatedly suggested it was unfair that De La Cruz received a lesser sentence of 41 months after pleading guilty to his smuggling offenses, 
asked the judge to sentence Romero to 57-71 months.


END

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