SALT LAKE CITY - Norma Llamas Rodriguez, age 46, of Moreno Valley, California, and her son, Carlos Arturo Garcia, age 21, of West Valley City, are charged with firearms trafficking in a seven-count federal indictment unsealed Monday afternoon.
According to the indictment, from about June 10, 2017, and continuing until at least Feb. 12, 2019, Llamas Rodriguez and Garcia purchased at least 48 firearms in transactions conducted through FFLs. The indictment alleges that at no time did either defendant possess a Federal Firearms License (FFL) required to be lawfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms.
Seven of the firearms Llamas Rodriguez and Garcia purchased were FN M249S rifles, which are semi-automatic belt-fed tripod mount rifles. Llamas Rodriguez and Garcia purchased the rifles from FFLs between Nov. 20, 2018, and Feb. 12, 2019 for approximately $7,485-$7,895 using U.S. Postal money orders. During the same period, the indictment alleges the pair transferred firearms to others without conducting lawful transfers through FFLs.
ATF special agents in Utah launched an investigation in February 2019 after receiving information from an FFL concerned about a suspicious purchase. The FFL reported that they had listed an FN Model M249S belt-fed rifle for sale for $7,900. A buyer in Utah attempted to purchase the firearm. According to a complaint in the case, the FFL was concerned that it might be a scam so he reviewed additional information and noticed that the Utah purchaser had used the account to purchase two other FN M249S rifles within the past month. The FFL contacted the sellers of the other rifles and they did not report any issues. After the FFL received a U.S. Postal money order for the firearm, Llamas Rodriguez reached out to him and requested a refund for the firearm. The FFL reported Llamas was “spooked" and wanted her money back. The FFL started researching Llamas Rodriguez on the internet and then contacted the ATF after he became suspicious with her purchase of $24,000 worth of firearms in such a short period of time, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges that ATF continued to investigate the two FN M249S rifles Llamas Rodriguez purchased and learned that the firearms were shipped to FFLs in Salt Lake City and Murray where Llamas Rodriguez and Garcia picked them up. They also found that between October 2017 and December 2018, Llamas had purchased an additional 22 AR-15 type rifles and four handguns from one of the FFLs.
ATF served a search warrant at two mobile homes in South Salt Lake City on Feb. 14, 2019. Agents found three firearms, documentation showing wire transfers to/from Mexico, multiple firearm operator manuals, and $7,400 in cash. Llamas Rodriguez was not at the residence. Garcia was there and, according to the complaint, told agents Llamas Rodriguez was buying the firearms for Hispanic males in California and was on her way to California with one of the FN M249S rifles.
During the investigation, ATF agents learned on March 3, 2018, six AR-15 firearms were seized at the Nogales Port of Entry on a bus entering Mexico from the United States. Four of those firearms were traced to Llamas Rodriguez. Records show Llamas Rodriquez purchased the firearms just two days prior on March 1, 2018. Agents traced two others to purchases she made on Feb. 22, 2018.
The indictment charges the pair with one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Llamas Rodriguez is also charged with four counts of false statements in the acquisition of a firearm and Garcia is charged with two counts of making a false statement in the acquisition of a firearm. The maximum potential penalty for dealing in firearms without a license is five years in prison. Each of the false statements in the acquisition of a firearm counts has a potential sentence of 10 years in prison.
Llamas Rodriguez was arrested on the complaint in California and had an initial appearance in federal court in California. She was released on conditions, including a $100,000 bond. She had an initial appearance in Salt Lake City Monday afternoon where she entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. She continues on the conditions of release set in California. Llamas Rodriguez is in the country on a green card. She is a former resident of West Valley City.
Garcia, a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody when he came to the federal courthouse Monday afternoon. He had an initial appearance Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea to the charges. He was released on conditions of supervised release.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
