Jimmy Torres, Straw Purchasing Firearms, Texas 2023

San Antonio, Texas – In a scheme to traffic and straw purchase AK-47 assault-type firearms destined for Mexico, three individuals have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison terms.

Jimmy Torres, a 28-year-old Mexican National, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison by United States District Judge Orlando Garcia after pleading guilty in November to one count of possession of a firearm by an individual with a domestic violence conviction, one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and 31 counts of aiding and abetting the making of a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

Torres’ co-defendants, Ramon Ernesto Armijo, 30, of San Antonio, and Mathew Arteaga, 27, of San Antonio, were sentenced to 60 months and 50 months in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to multiple counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

During this month’s hearing, Judge Garcia also sentenced Juanita Arteaga, 25, and Virginia Ricarte-Jones, 39, each to two years probation after they pleaded guilty last September to making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.

By pleading guilty, the defendants admitted to participating in a scheme from November 2011 to January 2012 whereby approximately 40 AK-47 assault-type firearms were straw-purchased from several San Antonio area gun stores.

Court documents reveal that the straw-purchased firearms were destined for Mexico.

Prior to today, 13 other individuals have received sentences ranging from probation to five years in federal prison in connection with this scheme.

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