A federal judge in Denver sentenced a man implicated in the robbery of a Jefferson County gun store to almost six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to being a felon found in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer sentenced Eric Michael Perez, 20, of Denver, to 70 months in federal prison on Feb. 23, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Denver.
Investigators found fresh blood on the price tag of a shotgun used to break glass display cases that contained weapons that were stolen on June 21 from the Colorado Gun Broker in an after-hours burglary.
“The blood sample and DNA profile were analyzed and matched the defendant,” according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives worked with Aurora police to locate Perez in Aurora, and took him into custody on outstanding state and federal warrants. Law enforcement officers recovered two of the store’s stolen weapons stolen in his bedroom.
Brimmer also sentenced him to serve 3 years on supervised release following his prison term.
Perez was prohibited from possessing firearms following an earlier conviction for crimes punishable by more than one year in prison.
“Investigating the gun store burglaries and recovering the stolen firearms is a top priority for ATF in Denver,” said Debora Livingston, ATF Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge. “ATF is collaborating closely with all the affected police departments and neighboring jurisdictions to pool our intelligence and investigative resources. This is our first success, and it will not be the last.”
