DEL RIO - A San Antonio man was sentenced this week to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Julio Enrique Rodriguez, 48, was previously convicted and sentenced to prison in 2012 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On March 12, 2018, defendant was found in possession of a Baretta 9mm pistol.
On April 11, 2019, defendant pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Working in collaboration with our local and federal law enforcement partners, we are committed to ensuring that felons are not endangering our communities by unlawfully possessing firearms," said U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff.
“The fifteen-year sentence in this case sends a clear message that the judicial system takes seriously the possession of firearms by convicted felons," said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Fred J. Milanowski. “ATF will continue to aggressively investigate these types of cases and ensure that violators receive justice."
The ATF investigated the case with assistance from the Del Rio Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Hail and Rex Beasley prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence- based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
