Man sentenced to 2 years in federal prison after buying weapons for 3rd party

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A 22-year-old man was sentenced for illegally purchasing firearms for another person, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced.

On May 31, Juan Hector Resendez-Meza III pled guilty to his charges of purchasing a firearm for a Mexican national.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Resendez-Meza admitted to authorities that a man, who lived in Reynosa, had approached and asked him to purchase firearms on his behalf.

Resendez-Meza received $16,000 in cash to purchase the weapons between May and August of 2023. During the time of each purchase, Resendez-Meza lied on federal forms, claiming he was the true buyer of the firearms, the release states.

He also admitted to illegally obtaining three rifles on behalf of the Mexican citizen, including a .50 caliber rifle.

"In addition, Resendez-Meza had previously bought and sold two pistols to the man," said Alamdar Hamdani, U.S. Attorney.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Resendez Meza to serve two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Resendez-Meza is pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.