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A man was sentenced to two years and four months in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
The plea stems from a June 2023 incident near Indianapolis’s Eagledale neighborhood.
On June 27, 2023, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were called to investigate a domestic violence situation.
At the scene, the victim’s child said 34-year-old Jose de Jesus Rodriguez-Soto, also known as Pedro Torres, came to their home with a pump-action shotgun and threatened to “kill them all.”
Torres was sitting in his vehicle at the home when police arrived, and his firearm was visible. He resisted officers but they were eventually able to place him under arrest.
The victim later told police Torres sent her threatening texts, one of which included a picture of the gun he brought to her home.
After his arrest, Torres reportedly called the victim from jail and tried to get her to drop the charges against him.
Torres is a Mexican national and was in the United States without lawful authorization, therefore he couldn’t legally possess a firearm, according to authorities.
In addition to his prison sentence, Torres will be on probation for two years after his release.
“Violent, illegally armed abusers pose a profound danger to those closest to them, police, and the entire community,” said Zachary Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana in a news release. “Through our LEATH initiative, federal prosecutors will continue to work hand in hand with HSI, IMPD, and law enforcement agencies across the district to save lives by disarming domestic abusers and removing them from our communities.”
The case was brought on as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), which focuses federal, state and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who have firearms illegally.
Homeland Security Investigation assisted IMPD in the investigation.
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