Round Rock man pleads guilty to trafficking, dealing firearms without license
AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A 50-year-old Round Rock man pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and to one count of dealing in firearms without a license in a federal court in San Antonio Friday, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Job Eliezer De La Torre faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the count of conspiracy and five years for dealing firearms without a license, the release said.
De La Torre was dealing firearms without a license from Jan. 1, 2020 to Nov. 1, 2023. He purchased around 356 firearms for resale, with around 24 of those being recovered by law enforcement. Officials searched his home in Round Rock on Nov. 2, 2023 and seized his cellphone, 44 firearms, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition $26,000 in cash and more, according to court documents.
"De La Torre stated he advertised guns for sale online and made between $20 and $200 in profit per firearm sold," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
From May to September 2023, De La Torres sold around 50 firearms for nearly $200,000 to "one co-conspirator," the release said. That deal included AR-15 firearms, six AR-10 firearms, an AK pistol and more.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice's Operation Take Back America, according to the release, which seeks to eliminate cartels and other transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, a federal district judge will determine De La Torre's sentence.