orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-guns2308may23,0,747477.story
OrlandoSentinel.com
Illegal immigrant sought to ship pistols and rifles, indictment says

Jim Leusner

Sentinel Staff Writer

May 23, 2008

An illegal immigrant from Honduras, who Orlando investigators say was preparing to ship 10 rifles and pistols out of the area in March, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury.

Isaac Adolfo Diaz-Matute, 34, also known as Gustavo Mendoza, was charged with improperly possessing firearms while an illegal immigrant.

He has been held without bail since March 22.

Diaz's weapons were first discovered when Orlando police were investigating the March 21 slaying of Oscar Moradel, 40, during a possible home invasion at his home on Bayboro Court.

Orlando police said the case remains unsolved.

A security sweep of the home led officers to open Diaz's locked bedroom, and homicide Sgt. Roger Brennan noticed a handgun on the floor.

Diaz later met with officers and allowed them to search the room, turning up seven Ruger semi-automatic rifles and three semi-automatic pistols. Several of the weapons had been disassembled and appeared to be wrapped as if they were going to be shipped elsewhere, according to an arrest report by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Adam Black.

Diaz also admitted to immigration agents that he was an illegal immigrant who paid a smuggler $1,600 to move him across the Mexico-Texas border in September 2005, and then to Orlando by van. He said he obtained false documents in Mendoza's name so he could work in the United States, Black wrote.




Jim Leusner can be reached at 407-420-5411 or jleusner@orlandosentinel.com.

Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentine