COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Indianapolis man, Guadalupe Sanchez-Cruz, 50, was sentenced to 48 months in prison on Wednesday for illegally possessing 45 firearms as an undocumented individual, announced by the U.S. District Court in Ohio.
Court records reveal Sanchez-Cruz, originally from Mexico, was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his immigration status. He was apprehended in Ohio on Jan. 20, while riding as a passenger in a truck transporting the firearms from Indiana to New Jersey.
Sanchez-Cruz admitted to law enforcement that he was compensated for helping to transport parcels and was aware that the items were “likely illegal.” The cache consisted of handguns and rifles, some equipped with high-capacity magazines, all heavily wrapped in plastic and stowed in two boxes.
Indicted in February, Sanchez-Cruz pleaded guilty in April 2023. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson on Sept. 21.
The case was disclosed by Kenneth L. Parker, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones. Prosecuting the case is Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. Geraghty.
This sentence underscores the federal government’s ongoing efforts to enforce gun laws and immigration regulations, marking a significant instance of cross-state law enforcement cooperation.
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