Southern California man faces sentencing for illegal firearm sales

A Southern California man is expected to be sentenced this Tuesday following a guilty plea for conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Fernando Nava, 36, of Hemet, along with Ricardo Amezcua, 46, and Manuel Ivan Sanchez, 38, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court.

Between May and August 2023, the defendants traveled to Utah to purchase approximately 123 firearms, including pistols and semiautomatic rifles. To bypass restrictions that prevent Utah-based dealers from selling to California residents, the men used fraudulently obtained Utah driver’s licenses or ID cards to falsely claim residency. Prosecutors stated that 42 firearms were purchased from licensed dealers in Utah, while the remaining 81 were acquired through an online gun exchange.