The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California detained three Southern California men today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that they illegally purchased over 120 weapons in Utah and then sold them in California without a firearms dealer’s license.
The US Attorney’s Office has charged Manuel Ivan Sanchez, 37, of Helendale, Ricardo Amezcua, 45, of South Gate, and Fernando Nava, 35, of Hemet, with conspiracy.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada stated that illegally sold guns often find their way into violent crimes and other serious offenses. “It is imperative to protecting our community that we aggressively prosecute those who put all of us at risk by illegally trafficking in firearms.”
According to an affidavit filed on Oct. 23, the defendants reportedly made repeated visits to Utah to purchase firearms from licensed dealers, including pistols and semiautomatic rifles, between November 2022 and July 2024.
The police stated that they allegedly misled on federal documents, claiming Utah residence, whereas Utah dealers cannot normally sell to California citizens.
Each defendant procured a Utah driver’s license or ID card with a Utah address to make these purchases, according to the department.
Sanchez reportedly purchased approximately 81 weapons through an online gun exchange in Utah from January to August 2023, negotiating prices and organizing in-person transactions, according to the agency.
The police accuse Sanchez of reselling these firearms at inflated prices, sometimes through a middleman, despite the fact that none of the defendants had a firearms dealer’s license.
In total, the defendants reportedly purchased around 123 weapons, 42 from licensed dealers and 81 via an internet exchange.
A criminal complaint alleges that a defendant has committed a crime. Each defendant is deemed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
