Illegal alien sentenced for gun posession

Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008 - 04:09 PM

By Morning News Staff Reports
U.S. District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced a Pageland resident to 10 months in prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to a press release issued by U.S. Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd on Tuesday.
After serving his sentence, 47-year-old Juan Casterjon Gaspar will be subject to deportation.
In June, Chesterfield County sheriff’s deputies and State Law Enforcement Division agents were preparing for a controlled drug purchase operation scheduled to take place later that evening near Pageland when Gaspar approached carrying a shotgun. After being told to drop his weapon, Gaspar started to point the loaded .20-gauge shotgun at the officer when he was being arrested.
When interviewed, Gaspar admitted he’s been in the United States illegally for 17 years.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents also investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office prosecuted the case as part of Operation CeaseFire, an initiative of the U.S. Attorneys Office that seeks to aggressively prosecute gun-related crimes.

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