Phoenix man convicted of buying guns used in hate crimes in Los Angeles

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Phoenix man was sentenced to eight months in prison after admitting to supplying weapons to a man convicted of the attempted murder of two Jews in February 2023 in California.

Eric Celaya, 30, was sentenced Monday. The judge ruled that he would be on probation for 36 months after his release after his sentence was completed.

Celaya pleaded guilty in federal court earlier this year to lying about purchasing a firearm.

According to federal prosecutors, on January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two firearms from a licensed dealer in Tempe.

Celaya filled out the required federal forms and had to certify that he was purchasing the guns for himself. But federal authorities say Celaya knew he was purchasing the firearms in Jamie Tran's name.

After Celaya gave Tran the weapons, Tran used them to shoot two Jews in front of the synagogue in Los Angeles on February 15 and 16, 2023.

But federal authorities say Celaya had no criminal record and there was no evidence he knew Tran's intentions to kill two people.

In September, Tran was sentenced to 35 years in prison after the offenses were charged as a hate crime.

Federal officials say Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing anti-Semitic propaganda, including the statement: “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH.”

“Killing people based solely on their religious and ethnic backgrounds brings back memories of the darkest chapters of human history,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said at the time of Tran’s sentencing. “Such hateful violence has no place in America. We hope that today's sentence sends a strong signal to everyone in our community that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism and hatred of any kind. For those who commit hate crimes, the punishment will be severe.”

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