Source: United States Department of Justice News
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Miguel Vargas-Narez (44, Mexico) to 40 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States and illegal reentry into the United States. Vargas entered guilty pleas to the charges on June 1, 2022.
According to the court records, Vargas is a citizen and national of Mexico. He has previously been deported from the United States four times and has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States after being deported on two prior occasions. On November 18, 2021, Vargas fled from Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies in a stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed. Vargas eventually crashed the vehicle in a pasture but continued to flee on foot. When apprehended by a police K-9 unit, Vargas had a loaded pistol in his waistband. In his pants pockets, deputies discovered another pistol with a scratched-off serial number, 38 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and seven rounds of .25 caliber ammunition. As an person not lawfully present in the United States, Vargas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.