Dominican national sentenced on drugs and weapons charges

BOSTON – A citizen of the Dominican Republic was sentenced Friday to 63 months in prison and four years of supervised release on drug- and weapons-related charges. The sentence resulted from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

In October 2012, Alberto Feliz Garcia, 34, pleaded guilty to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, being an alien in possession of a firearm, passport fraud, and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

According to the investigation, on the morning of Oct. 17, 2011, HSI special agents, armed with a federal arrest warrant for passport fraud, encountered Garcia at his home and arrested him in a second floor bedroom. The room was searched and the agents recovered a Fabrique Nacional 5.7 semi-automatic pistol loaded with 19 rounds of armor-piercing ammunition.

HSI special agents noted that the serial numbers on the pistol were obliterated. Garcia later consented to a search of his home where HSI special agents recovered 517 grams of heroin, 45 grams of crack cocaine, 32 rounds of 9mm ammunition and $12,040 in cash.

Following the completion of his federal sentence, ICE will remove Garcia to the Dominican Republic.