Fast and Furious smuggler get less than 5 years
The Washington Times reports that Jaime Avila Jr., who pleaded guilty to buying $60,000 worth of guns and smuggling them to Mexico was sentenced to 57 months in prisons. Two of his guns were discovered at the scene of border agent Brian Terry’s murder.
Avila’s attorney, Candice Shoemaker, said her client’s “significant substance abuse problem” led to his involvement in the smuggling operation and added that Avila was “shocked and dismayed and hurt in a way that he had no idea his behavior … would lead to such great lengths.” She said he was recruited to participate in the smuggling scheme and added that he was “not a gentleman who grew up in gangs.”
Terry’s cousin, Robert Heyer, who runs the Brian Terry Foundation, had asked the judge to impose the maximum 10-year sentence.
Five years for the murder of a border agent is a pretty good deal. Ten years would have been a good deal, too. It must be the spirit of the season that made the judge give the little creep a present like this.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Guns
I’m surprised that he didn’t get the full dose. He bought dozens of weapons with the blessing of the US Department of Justice who knew what he was doing, when he was doing it, and why he was doing it. And the DOJ permitted him to continue his crimes until Agent Terry’s murder. Whoops. Two of the weapons Avila had illegally purchased as a strawman turned up at Terry’s murder scene. Whoops. Whoops. They arrested Avila in record time. Poor lad. I think the judge just realized that while Avila was culpable, after the first of his purchases, Avila was only doing what the DOJ wanted him to do.
So we pay for this guy to get 3-hots-&-cot for 5 years. And then what? He gets released, 7-11 hires him, and he becomes a productive member of society? No – he’ll return to what he knows to put food on the table and roof over his head.
Why not hang him, and save us the money? Rope costs less than one prison meal.
Claiming substance abuse as a justification for criminal acts is akin to killing your parents and then asking for mercy because you are an orphan.
He should have been charged with one count of acting as a gun dealer without a license for each and every gun he sold. Two hundred counts, all served consecutively.
…“significant substance abuse problem”…
Once again, the Victim Card. This is why I have zero respect for the law. The law has become nothing more than a very expensive whore, available to whomever has her price.
If it were a white guy who was in part of a teaparty and paid federal taxes he would have gotten the death penalty. $60k buys a lot of guns……
Blame on the drugs. Good way to go. Since apparently drugs kick down your down and force their way in to your bloodstream…