Phoenix man, Eric Celaya, 30, received an eight-month prison sentence on Monday, as well as an additional 36 months of supervised release for his role in providing firearms used in the shooting of two Jewish community members in California, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona. The sentencing took place in the United States District Court with Judge Michael T. Liburdi presiding. On May 15, Celaya pleaded guilty to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, an offense that carries severe implications given the tragic outcome of his actions.

According to court documents, Celaya acquired two firearms from a Tempe-based Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) on January 19, 2023. During the purchase, he completed an ATF Form 4473, on it, he falsely stated that he was the actual buyer of the weapons. In reality, he was purchasing them on behalf of Jamie Tran, subsequently providing the firearms to Tran after the transaction. It was on February 15 and 16 of the same year that Tran used these firearms to commit hate crimes against members of the Jewish community. The shootings led to charges being filed in the United States District Court, Central District of California, under Case Number 2:23-CR-00098-GW.

The investigation, which unearthed Celaya's involvement, was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Despite Celaya's lack of a prior criminal record, and the absence of evidence to suggest that he was privy to Tran’s heinous intentions or prejudiced beliefs, his misrepresentation during the firearms transaction could not go unpunished.

This case was part of the broader initiative known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at fostering collaboration between law enforcement at all levels and the communities they serve to dampen the tide of violent crime, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona. Since its rejuvenation in 2017, the Department of Justice has made it a priority to pinpoint and prosecute violent offenders. Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen, District of Arizona, in Phoenix, was the lead prosecutor on the Celaya case.