Gun purchase sends Phoenix man to prison

PHOENIX – A Phoenix man was sentenced to prison this week for lying about buying guns that were later used in a hate crime in California, authorities announced Friday.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona, a federal judge in Phoenix on Monday ordered 30-year-old Eric Celaya to spend eight months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release.

Celaya pleaded guilty in May to making a material false statement when purchasing a firearm.

The charges were related to the purchase of two guns from a licensed dealer in Tempe on January 19, 2023.

Prosecutors said Celaya intended to give the weapons to Jaime Tran but stated in the filing that it was a personal purchase.

Due to previous mental illness, Tran was prohibited from purchasing firearms. He also had a history of anti-Semitic comments and threats.

According to prosecutors, Celaya had no criminal record and knew nothing of Tran's intentions.

How guns purchased in Arizona were used in hate crimes in California

On February 15, 2023, Tran shot and wounded a Jewish man as he left a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles. He returned to the neighborhood, which is a Jewish cultural center, and again shot and wounded a man as he left the service.

Tran was arrested the day after the second shooting after a witness reported he fired a gun behind a motel.

He pleaded guilty in May 2024 to two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two firearms-related offenses and was sentenced to 35 years in prison on September 30.

“While this conviction cannot fully restore the sense of security stolen from the two victims and the Jewish community, it is a crucial step towards justice and a clear message that such acts of hate and violence will not be tolerated,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi said in a press release following Tran's sentencing.

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