A 35-year-old Romanian national, Andrei Saplacan, has been arrested in Tampa on charges of possessing firearms while being an alien unlawfully in the United States. Facing up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted, Saplacan reportedly attempted to purchase a firearm earlier this month and made an incorrect statement on the required form about his immigration status, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.
The investigation revealed, and according to the official complaint, Saplacan had entered the U.S. on an H2B visa back in 2014 and was authorized to stay until June 10, 2015, it turns out he has overstayed his visa by nearly a decade, making his purchase or possession of firearms illegal under federal law. Law enforcement found not just one, but five firearms, various ammunition, a gas mask, and bullet proof vest upon executing a search warrant at his home on April 21.
Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman is set to prosecute the case, which is a part of the comprehensive Operation Take Back America – an initiative focused on curtailing illegal immigration and dismantling cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, aiming to protect communities from violent crime, this initiative is being led by the Department of Justice and incorporates strategies from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods…