HARTFORD, Conn. — A Hartford man from South Carolina was sentenced to 10 years of prison along with three years of supervised release after illegally trafficking firearms from Connecticut to South Carolina.
Alberto Vazquez, 39, of Hartford, was sentenced Tuesday. According to court documents and statements made in court, the AFT and Hartford police recovered multiple firearms that had been purchased in South Carolina.
One of the firearms was found in the possession of a convicted felon in July 2020. During the months of September and October 2020, firearms were also recovered at the scene of two separate homicides in Hartford.
Investigation revealed that Vazquez, a felon who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms, conspired with people in South Carolina including Joshua Bentz and Tywonda Bentz. Vazquez and his co-conspirators purchased firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Columbia, South Carolina. They would transport the guns and sell them to felons and other customers in the Hartford area. They purchased 37 firearms through this scheme.
Vazquez's criminal history includes convictions for felony weapon possession, robbery, and larceny offenses. He has been detained since his arrest on March 15, 2021.
On March 25, 2022, Vazquez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and to unlawfully transport firearms, unlawful transportation of firearms, and unlawful possession of firearms by a felon.
Joshua Bentz and Tywonda Bentz pleaded guilty to related charges and await sentencing.
Vazquez's former girlfriend, Julitza Garcia pleaded guilty to making false statements to law enforcement officers during the investigation and, on May 2, 2022, was sentenced to three years of probation.
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.
