TUCSON, Ariz. – On April 4, 2019, Uriel Gonzalez-Perez, 32, of Douglas, Ariz. was sentenced for separate offenses by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to concurrent terms of 120 months’ imprisonment and 46 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.  Gonzalez-Perez had previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and conspiracy to commit false statements in connection with the purchase of firearms. 

     On Dec. 8, 2017, Gonzalez-Perez, a former Mexican police officer, was stopped during an outbound inspection at the Douglas Port of Entry.  His vehicle contained 500 .50 caliber BMG links, items that are prohibited from being exported without a license.  Further investigation revealed that Gonzalez-Perez and his two co-defendants were obtaining firearms and ammunition by falsifying paperwork required to purchase firearms legally.  Gonzalez-Perez was illegally exporting the firearms and other items to Mexico.

     A search of Gonzalez-Perez’s cell phone revealed numerous photos and videos of child pornography.  Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were able to identify the child and adult female depicted in the images; they were living in Puerto Penasco, Mexico and HSI provided that information to Mexican authorities.  Mexican authorities arrested the adult female, who was the child’s mother, and she was later sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment in Sonora, Mexico.

     This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

     The investigation in this case was conducted by HSI Special Agent Robert Edwards.  The prosecution was handled by Erica L. Seger, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Tucson.

 

CASE NUMBER:                  CR-18-00033-JAS and CR 18-00230-JAS

RELEASE NUMBER:           2019-044_ Gonzalez-Perez

 

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