Brothers in Phoenix get prison time for dealing guns without a license

PHOENIX — Two brothers from Phoenix were recently sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to dealing firearms without a license, authorities said.

Juan Ali Ramirez Ramirez, 23, was sentenced to three years in prison, while his brother, Jay Derek Ramirez Ramirez, 21, will spend a year and one day behind bars.

The two men in July and August 2020 bought and sold at least 40 firearms for profit, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release on Monday.

Among the weapons were AR-type rifles, shotguns, glock handguns, a stolen firearm and a privately made gun, authorities said.

The men also had an inert grenade, suppressors, body armor and high-capacity magazines.

Some of the firearms that the brothers sold out of their family tire shop were connected to crimes in the Valley or found with prohibited possessors, authorities said.

The firearms were advertised for sale on social media.

An investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Tobacco, with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department, authorities said.

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