A Falfurrias man with a history of criminal offenses has been sentenced to a seven-year prison term for illegal possession of a firearm, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. 57-year-old Gerardo Vargas was apprehended while hunting with a rifle, an activity he was barred from due to his status as a convicted felon.
Vargas, who pleaded guilty on July 25, has a criminal background that includes burglary, narcotics trafficking, firearms charges, and a previous conviction for conspiracy to harbor/transport undocumented aliens. Despite his extensive record, it was in December 2022 when he was spotted on private property with a rifle, an act which led to his most recent arrest, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During sentencing, U.S District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Vargas to serve 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In commenting on the sentencing, the court acknowledged Vargas' long-standing criminal history and affiliation with the Texas Syndicate Prison Gang since 1990.
The encounter last December did not mark Vargas' first time hunting while prohibited, he admitted to having hunted just days prior on another property, Vargas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility, with the location to be announced in the near future, according to the same press release.
