South Texas weapons straw purchaser sentenced to more than 3 years in prison
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — A South Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison for conspiring to make a false statement during the purchasing of multiple firearms.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents investigated the case in coordination with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Clarence McFarland, 40, from San Antonio, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. McFarland pleaded guilty Oct. 1, 2020 to conspiracy to make false statement during the purchasing of multiple firearms.
“By putting weapons smugglers behind bars, it allows law enforcement to cut the supply of firearms before they fall into the hands of the drug cartels who pose a threat both here and abroad,” said Craig S. Larrabee, deputy special agent in charge for HSI San Antonio. “HSI will continue working with our federal law enforcement partners both domestic and international in this effort.”
According to court documents, McFarland purchased and recruited others to purchase .50 caliber semi-automatic rifles from local firearms dealers in 2017 and 2018. McFarland provided the funds to purchase the rifles and paid others to fill out the form 4473s purporting to be the actual buyers of those firearms. McFarland admitted to federal agents that he helped acquire eight .50 caliber rifles for another person. In 2018, three rifles were recovered in Mexico that were traced back to McFarland and his straw purchasers.
HSI is a directorate of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of over 10,400 employees consists of more than 7,100 special agents assigned to 220 cities throughout the United States, and 80 overseas locations in 53 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.
To report a crime, call 866-347-2423 (TTY for hearing impaired: 802-872-6196) or fill out the online tip form.
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