Fast and Furious suspect sentenced

A man who purchased two rifles found at the scene of the fatal shooting of a federal agent north of the Arizona-Mexico border has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison.

Jaime Avila Jr. on Wednesday received the maximum sentence of 57 months based on federal guidelines.

Avila's attorney had pleaded for leniency, saying her client was deeply remorseful and had substance abuse problems.

Federal prosecutors had asked for the maximum penalty, saying Avila not only bought guns for drug cartels but also recruited others to do so.

• Heads roll after Fast and Furious investigation
• A primer on the "Fast and Furious" scandal

The 25-year-old Avila, who purchased at least two AK-47 type rifles found at the scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry's murder, had pled guilty to illegal gun dealing and conspiracy.

Avila was not charged directly in Terry's murder. He was a firearms buyer who illegally trafficked guns into the hands of Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel while under surveillance in ATF's Operation Fast and Furious. The guns allowed to hit the streets came back to haunt the U.S. (as objecting ATF agents warned they might) on Dec. 14, 2010 when armed Mexican bandits used them in an assault on Terry and other border agents in Arizona near the Mexican border.

Other guns related to ATF "gunwalking" were used in the murder of US ICE Agent Jaime Zapata in Mexico in Feb. 2011, six months after Terry's murder. Fifteen of the 20 alleged weapons traffickers in Fast and Furious have pled guilty. Trial is set for January for five remaining suspects. In a separate case regarding Terry's murder, Mexican citizen Manuel Osorio-Arellanes earlier pled guilty to avoid the death penalty and will be sentenced March 1. One additional suspect in Terry's murder is in custody, three others are fugitives.

[fxr60]

Eric Holder and Obama knew all about this gun running and did nothing! Just like they knew within hours of Benghazi! One of these days the truth will come out and we will see what they lied about all of this time! "Obama lied and 4 men died" should be a bumper sticker. The Navy Seals and the military wants the investgation to go on until we find out the truth! I think most of us know "who knew what and when" already!

[ihavemydoubts]

So if five years is appropriate for the fellow who trafficked those two guns what should Bill Newell get for also trafficking those same two guns plus 2,000 others?

[beresponsible]

Right-o Rick.
And what about BENGHAZI? Seems some gun running was involved in that as well. 4 US citizens dead, and the news agencies don't seem to care.
Now this admin. is shipping F16 jets to Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Is anybody listening????????????????

[nearl451]

Not to you.

[Rick03466]

How about we arrest Eric Holder. After all it was 3, THREE agencies under his control that set this up. The DEA provided Intelligence, a paid FBI informant that lined up the buyers, and the ATF that ordered gun dealers to go through with Sales the dealers wanted stopped.

[fxr60]

Eric Holder knew about this and so did Obama! Just like they know all about Benghazi and lied about that-even after 2 weeks and other people were admiting it was a terrorist raid that killed the four men, Obama told the UN it was the video! What a liar! New bumper sticker-"Obama lied and 4 men died"!