A 23-year-old Tucson man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for lying during the purchase of a high-powered rifle that was later seized at the U.S.-Mexico border, federal officials say.Β
Javier Alejandro Ramos-Velderrain, of Tucson, was convicted by a federal jury in October of giving a false address when he bought a Barrett BMG .50 caliber rifle, one of the most high-powered firearms that can be purchased outside of the military, the U.S. Attorneys Office said Thursday in a news release.
The federal investigation started in 2020 when a U.S. Consulate employee in Nogales, Sonora was arrested at the border after trying to sneak 15 weapons into Mexico, including the .50 caliber rifle, the release said.
Federal agents eventually traced the purchase of the gun back to Ramos-Velderrain, who they say bought it from a federally licensed dealer 22 days before it was seized at the border.
When agents found Ramos-Velderrain, who had used a fake address at the time of the gun purchase, he claimed to have sold the rifle for $7,000 in the internet. Ramos-Velderrain, however, was unable to provide agents any details about the purchaser, the release said.
