Joseph Garza, Illegally Possessing Firearms, Illinois 2018

ROCKFORD — In a shocking turn of events, Joseph Garza, a 40-year-old Rockford man, has been sentenced to a whopping 8.5 years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms, a crime that has been plaguing the nation’s streets for far too long.

According to court documents, Garza pleaded guilty last year to two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the sentence on Monday during a hearing in federal court in Rockford.

Garza admitted in a plea agreement that in 2017 and 2018 he illegally possessed and sold seven firearms, utilizing two co-defendants as brokers for the sales. Garza set the price for the firearm sales and delivered the guns to the co-defendants, who then conducted the sales with the buyer, who was working as a confidential informant for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.

Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.

Garza’s sentence serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of this crime and the severity of the consequences that come with it. As a community, we must come together to prevent such crimes from happening in the first place.

The case highlights the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the community in keeping our streets safe. We must continue to work together to address the root causes of this crime and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable.

In a statement, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said, ‘This sentence serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of illegally possessing firearms. We will continue to work tirelessly to keep our communities safe.’

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