South Texas gun store manager sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for knowingly selling guns for export to Mexico’s Gulf Cartel

MCALLEN, Texas — A former gun store manager was sentenced Aug. 13 to five years in federal prison for her role in a firearm straw purchasing operation.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney, Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Crystal Espinoza, 31, of San Juan, to 60 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. On May 15, Espinoza was found guilty for making false statements or representations with regard to firearms records.

According to court documents, in the summer of 2013, HSI special agents initiated an investigation regarding firearms that were being exported into Mexico. The jury heard that the special agents learned that semi-automatic assault firearms had been recovered in Mexico which had been purchased at Brothers N Arms gun store in San Juan, Texas.

HSI and ATF initiated an undercover investigation in which they purchased four semi-automatic rifles from Espinoza in October 2013. Evidence showed that Espinoza was aware the sale of those weapons was illegal because the intended purchaser did not have a proper identification documents to purchase the firearms. Espinoza agreed to sell the firearms to the second undercover agent, knowing he was not the actual buyer.

Additionally, a convicted co-conspirator testified that he purchased between 20 to 30 firearms from Espinoza during a five-month period that were later exported into Mexico. The co-conspirator testified that Espinoza knew that the firearms were destined to be exported into Mexico and that the true purchasers of the firearms were members of the Gulf Cartel.

Espinoza, who had been released on bond, was taken into custody  after sentencing. She will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Assistant U.S. Attorney, Robert Wells Jr., Southern District of Texas, prosecuted this case.