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Eagle Pass Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Unlawful Firearm Possession

A convicted felon was sentenced in federal court in Del Rio following a traffic stop where officers found a firearm.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 10:16 a.m. ET
According to official court documents released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, 36-year-old Gerard Santellano, also known as Papilla, of Eagle Pass, Texas, was to 12 years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons on Aug. 13, 2026. Court records state that on Sept. 13, 2024, Santellano was found in possession of a .380 pistol during a lawful traffic stop and was identified as the shooter in an attempted murder from the prior week. Due to a 2013 felony conviction for second-degree robbery, a federal grand jury indicted him on Oct. 9, 2024, on two counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Santellano pleaded guilty to one count on Dec. 16, 2024. On Aug. 6, U.S. District Chief Judge Alia Moses Santellano and ordered a $2,000 fine, as well as the forfeiture of the pistol, related ammunition, and accessories. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 14:16current

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