Crime & Safety
Watsonville Man Sentenced To Federal Prison
Prosecutors say he illegally sold firearms including machine guns.
WATSONVILLE, CA — A Watsonville man was sentenced to 38 months in prison earlier this week for illegally selling firearms such as machine guns, federal prosecutors said.
Carlos Manuel Ruiz-Montanez, 22, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of illegal possession and transfer of machine guns, and one count of dealing in firearms without a license.
He was charged in August 2022, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement Tuesday.
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From Feb. 11, 2020 to Sept. 13, 2021, Ruiz-Montanez sold and helped in the sale of eight firearms, including a short-barrel shotgun, two machine guns, a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and an assault rifle-style pistol. The AR-style pistol was a "ghost gun" as it was privately made and did not bear a serial number, prosecutors said.
Besides his prison term, Ruiz-Montanez is ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his incarceration is completed.
Find out what's happening in Watsonvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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