A four-time convicted felon has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of unlawfully possessing a firearm in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Senior U.S. District Judge Janis Graham Jack sentenced Antonio Ortiz III, 32, of Corpus Christi, to 115 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Ortiz was a known member of the Texas Syndicate Prison Gang and had an outstanding state warrant for a drug distribution charge. In October 2014, deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service assigned to the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force learned he was staying with a girlfriend at an apartment complex in Corpus Christi and subsequently took him into custody.
At the time of his arrest, authorities discovered a loaded 9mm pistol beneath his bed. Also discovered in the apartment were two separate bundles of ammunition.
During the trial, the jury heard that while in custody following his arrest, Ortiz made phone calls to his friend discussing the location of that gun. In those calls, Ortiz can be heard berating his friend for not having hidden the gun better before his arrest.
Ortiz will remain in custody pending transfer to U.S. Bureau of Prisons facilities to be determined in the near future.
The charge was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hess is prosecuting the case.
Ortiz is currently facing 115 months in federal prison, immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Defendant: Antonio Ortiz III
Criminal Charges: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm
City and State: Corpus Christi, Texas
Arrest Date: October 2014
Sentence: 115 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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