WICHITA, KAN. - A Mexican woman was sentenced Monday to time served for unlawful possession of a firearm connected to a homicide case in Salina, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. She will be placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation.
Azucena Garcia-Ferniza, 22, spent about 15 months in jail. She pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States. In her plea, she admitted that on May 7, 2015, she unlawfully possessed a Glock.45 caliber pistol. Her visitor’s visa had expired in February 1998.
In July 2016, Garcia-Ferniza was sentenced in Saline County District Court to18 months on probation for attempting to hide the gun that killed 17-year-old Allie Saum. The gun belonged to her boyfriend, Macio D. Palacio, Jr. Saum was killed by gunfire when Palacio fired at a pickup he mistakenly believed was driven by rival gang members.
Palicio was convicted in Saline County District Court and sentenced to more than 50 years for the killing.
Beall commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Salina Police Department, the Saline County Sherriff’s Office, the Saline County Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
