A Rockford man, identified as Joseph Garza, 40, will be trading his freedom for a cell following his sentencing to eight and a half years in federal prison for the illegal possession of firearms. The sentence was handed down in federal court in Rockford on Monday, as per the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Garza had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, an admission that came accompanied by the revelation that he, along with two co-defendants, had sold seven firearms between 2017 and 2018. In doing so, they unwittingly engaged with a confidential informant for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
The sentencing stemmed from a plea agreement in which Garza acknowledged setting prices and delivering guns to his co-defendants, who subsequently handled the sales to the buyer. As stated by the justice department, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston saw fit to order the prison term after considering the case's details. The announcement of Garza's fate was made by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the ATF's Chicago Field Division.
Garza's case highlights the ongoing effort to staunch the flow of illegal firearms and combat violent crime within Illinois. To this end, the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program has become a central strategy for the U.S. Attorney's Office, alongside law enforcement partners. Described by the justice department as a "centerpiece" for holding illegal firearm possessors accountable, PSN aims to address a breadth of violent crime issues, focusing sharply on firearm offenses.
On Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s office emphasized the import of Garza's sentence; it's a potent demonstration of the rigor with which federal authorities are pursuing and prosecuting the illegal possession and sale of firearms. Acting as a prosecutor in the case was Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
