Press Release
☷West Valley Man Sentenced to 27 Months Imprisonment After Admitting to Purchasing or Attempting to Purchase Multiple Rifles Intended for Mexico
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ( By Press Release office)
Feb 28,2024
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Jose Manuel Barbosa - Torres , a 36 - year - old from West Valley City , Utah , has been sentenced to more than two years in prison and three years of supervised release . He admitted to helping others make false statements while trying to acquire firearms . Barbosa - Torres was the first of four defendants to be sentenced after they were arrested and indicted in October 2023 . According to court documents , Barbosa - Torres provided money for his co - defendants to buy or attempt to buy multiple Barrett . 50 caliber rifles in August 2023 . The purchases were made from Federal Firearm Licensees ( FFLs ) . The defendants filled out an ATF Form 4473 , claiming to be the actual buyer of the firearms when it was not true . Barbosa - Torres also admitted that the guns were being acquired for someone else who was taking them to Mexico . U . S . Attorney Trina A . Higgins of the District of Utah stated that Barbosa - Torres knowingly purchased or helped purchase at least eight powerful rifles , knowing they would be trafficked to Mexico . She emphasized the potential for these weapons to cause significant destruction . ATF Special Agent in Charge Brent Beavers praised the collaboration between ATF and industry partners in stopping the illegal flow of firearms to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico . Barbosa - Torres ' co - defendant , Iliana Dennis , is scheduled for sentencing in April , while the other two defendants , Armando Figueroa Jr . and Cecilio Luis Arriaga , are awaiting trial . The case was investigated by the ATF , and the prosecution was handled by Assistant U . S . Attorney Victoria McFarland . This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) , a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence by involving all levels of law enforcement and the community . The Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy on May 26 , 2021 , strengthening PSN with a focus on building trust in communities , supporting organizations that prevent violence , setting enforcement priorities , and measuring results .
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