Man pleads guilty to gun charges in botched probe

wtop.com ^ | 4/5/12 | JACQUES BILLEAUD , AP

[Nachum]

PHOENIX (AP) - A man who bought two rifles found at the scene of the fatal shooting of a federal agent near the Arizona-Mexico border pleaded guilty Thursday to two felony charges in the federal government's botched gun smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious.

Authorities say Jaime Avila Jr. was a member of a 20-person ring accused of buying guns and smuggling them into Mexico for use by the Sinaloa drug cartel. Two AK-47 variants bought by Avila from a suburban Phoenix gun store were found in the aftermath of a December 2010 shootout that mortally wounded Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry near Nogales, Ariz.

Avila, 25, faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to dealing guns without a federal license and conspiracy to deal guns without a license, making false statements in a gun purchase and smuggling goods out of the U.S. A sentencing hearing is set for June 25.

Prosecutor Timothy Coughlin told the judge that Avila served as a straw purchaser for the ring and bought 52 guns on its behalf, including two .50-caliber rifles, though the indictment charged him with buying six guns.

There was no mention during the hearing of Terry's death or the guns found at the shootout scene. It remains unclear whether the fatal bullet came from one of the two guns recovered at the shooting scene or from another gun.

Federal authorities have faced harsh criticism since Terry's shooting for allowing suspected straw gun buyers to walk away from gun shops with weapons, rather than arrest the suspects and seize the guns there.

Terry was killed in a shootout with bandits in a canyon north of Nogales. The shooting broke out as Terry and three other agents tried to catch five suspected illegal immigrants believed

[Nachum]

Hmmmm...

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

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[Loyal Sedition]

Hmmmm indeed!

ONLY ten years if convicted, if ATF really had it in for him he would be looking at a LOT more time, at least twenty years, and $200,000.00 in fines, probably more.

With time off for good behavior, out in what, six years?
Deal for a light sentence to keep him quiet?

[MestaMachine]

Furiouser and furiouser...Ping.

[Flintlock]

Coverup.
BIG TIME!!

[drpix]

The article needs correction:

"...in the federal government's botched^exposed gun smuggling investigation^{blackbag operation} known as Operation Fast and Furious.

[bcsco]

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[Joe Brower]

"Dragging high-level government scandal out until the prosecution gives up", chapter 4,981 in a continuing series.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“With time off for good behavior, out in what, six years?
Deal for a light sentence to keep him quiet?”

Probably by murdered soon after his arrival at the prison.

[Roccus]

Obviously Judge John Sirica was not in attendance....unfortunately.

[from occupied ga]

dealing guns without a federal license and conspiracy to deal guns without a license, making false statements in a gun purchase

All phoney baloney charges that go against the spirit of the 2nd amendment. Ie requiring a license to sell a gun infringes as does making false statements etc. Either you have the right or you don't. If you have to get government permission, the it's no longer a right, it's a privilege. You shouldn't have to get the government's permission to exercise a right.

[Lurker]

“With time off for good behavior, out in what, six years?

That doesn't exist in the Federal system. He'll do every day of this sentence.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

I believe you directed your comment to the wrong person. Although I quoted that line, my comment actually was;

“Probably be murdered soon after his arrival at the prison.”

[TigersEye]

Now how about the guy who brought the third gun to the party?

FBI Criminal Informant Complicit in Brian Terry’s Death (PJM Exclusive)

Previously, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s death in Peck Canyon, Arizona was described as a chance meeting that led to a firefight: an illegal alien “rip crew” working for the Sinaloa cartel was hoping to find other illegal aliens and to rob them at gunpoint. Instead, they stumbled across a Border Patrol unit and murdered Agent Terry. Last week, the Washington Times offered a new version of the encounter: they reported that the rip crew was not hunting illegals, but Border Patrol teams — with the intention of engaging them in combat.

Sources now tell PJ Media that neither version of events is accurate: the rip crew was not waiting for a chance encounter with other illegals, nor did the members intend to engage American law enforcement agents.

The rip crew was in Peck Canyon that evening with the intention of stealing money and drugs from a specific shipment of which they had prior knowledge.

(snip)

The rip crew knew to be in Peck Canyon that December evening because a CI working for the FBI found out about a smuggling run — from the FBI.

(snip)

A source tells PJM that the FBI knew from wiretaps that the CI was using their information to set up an ambush. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — through its own CIs and communications intercepts — was also aware of the planned assault. Neither the DEA nor FBI warned Border Patrol about the expected criminal activity.

(snip)

Multiple sources tell PJM that this third weapon “disappeared” because it was the weapon carried by the FBI CI who ran the rip crew. When it was recovered near the scene of the murder and subsequently traced by the ATF, it traced back to the FBI CI via the gun shop in Texas where it was purchased.

(snip)

Neither agency bothered to warn Border Patrol to keep their BORTAC teams out of Peck Canyon that evening. As a direct result of this FBI and DEA failure — combined with Homeland Security forcing BORTAC units to carry less-lethal beanbag rounds in some of their primary weapons — Brian Terry’s under-armed four-man unit walked into an ambush against a heavily armed rip crew, at least five of whom were carrying rifles.

Brian Terry’s murder was entirely preventable. The incompetence of the DEA and FBI let his Border Patrol unit walk into an ambush. After the ambush, it appears the FBI tampered with evidence to cover up that one of their informants was involved with the murder of a federal agent.

That FBI CI bought an SKS in Texas which was found at the scene.

[Nebr FAL owner]

Any bets on when BATFE/FBI types who were in on this bit of stupidity will get to do the perp walk as accessory before /during/after the fact?

[Lurker]

Sorry. My mistake.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Nothin’ to be sorry for Lurker! Just thought you might want to redirect your comment. Been a slow day here for me,,,, so and comments/contacts from anyone, for any reason, are appreciated! Enjoy your weekend!
Best,
Bogie

[Chode]

how bout accessory to MURDER???