News - National
Figure in Fast and Furious gun buyer sentenced
Posted: Dec 12, 2012 11:00 AM by Tony Spehar
PHOENIX (AP) - 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.
The 25-year-old Avila was part of a ring targeted in a botched federal investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious. Agents lost track of hundreds of weapons, including two used in a shootout that killed Border Patrol agent Brian Terry.
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