2 sentenced in Phoenix drop house case, 1 gets 137 years

Last Update: 6:18 pm

PHOENIX -- Two Mexican citizens have been sentenced to federal prison for holding a group of illegal immigrants hostage in a Phoenix drop house last year.

Prosecutors say 22-year-old Carlos Alvarez-Espinoza received a 137-year prison term Monday in U.S. District Court while 30-year-old Jesus Corrales-Fernandez got a 15-year sentence.

They say Alvarez-Espinoza was convicted in June on multiple felony counts while Corrales-Fernandez entered into a plea agreement.

Authorities say the men were part of a violent group of human smugglers who held at least 23 illegal immigrants hostage at gunpoint in May 2008.

The immigrants later told authorities that some of them were beaten and pistol whipped and all were threatened with death by the smugglers.

Three other defendants also were charged in the case.

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/phoen ... 8BKUA.cspx