Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

DOJ seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Arizona
Gary M. Restaino, United States Attorney
www.justice.gov/usao-az
For Immediate Release
Monday, December 18, 2023

Three Men Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Five Firearms Including a “Ghost Gun” at a Phoenix Residence

PHOENIX — Victor Alfonso Apodaca Aguilar, 22, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 12 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Aguilar’s co-defendants, Jose Bernardo Vega-Ruiz, 27, and Hector Alvarado-Aboyte, 29, were each sentenced on Nov. 20 to 15 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. All three men, undocumented non-citizens from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, pleaded guilty to Alien in Possession of a Firearm.

On March 9, the three men were living at a house in Phoenix where a federal search warrant was executed. Five firearms, including a “ghost gun,” were located at the residence.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa E. Jennis, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

###

ATF.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Justice

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov