Press Release
THREE MEN SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR TRAFFICKING IN FIREARMS
June 29, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Julie Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announce that defendants Roderick White, Emmanuel Urra, and Brian Cowert were sentenced on June 28, 2009, following a plea to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and making false statements, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 922(a) and 924(a)(6).
Defendants Roderick White, Emmanuel Urra and Brian Cowert (along with Daniel Noel, who is awaiting sentencing) were indicted in March 2007 for their organized, collaborative scheme to falsify documents necessary to buy firearms. In these documents, the defendants falsely stated that the firearms were for themselves, when in fact they were purchasing the firearms for others. In this way, between November 2006 and February 2007, the group caused the inflow of more than 200 firearms into Miami-Dade County, Florida. Some of these firearms were distributed to prohibited persons. Other weapons have been recovered in violent crimes here and in the Bahamas.
At sentencing, United States District Judge Moore sentenced Brian Cowert to 30 months in prison and sentenced Emmanuel Urra and Roderick White to 24 months each in prison.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael E. Gilfarb.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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