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Arizona man sent to prison for supplying weapons in L.A. hate crime

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A Phoenix man was convicted this week for his role in the shooting deaths of two members of the West Los Angeles Jewish community last year, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The U.S. District Judge sentenced Eric Celaya on Monday to eight months in prison and 36 months of supervised release.

According to a news release, on January 19, 2023, Celaya purchased two guns in Tempe and illegally transferred them to Jamie Tran.

It was reported that Celaya intended to purchase the firearms for Tran, but forged the paperwork and claimed he was the “actual buyer.”

The press release states that on February 15 and 16, 2023, Tran used the firearms that Celaya had obtained for him to shoot two Jewish men in California.

Although both victims survived, Trans intended to kill them, the release said. According to the release, the crimes were charged as hate crimes. Tran was sentenced to 35 years in prison in September for the shootings.

According to the press release, there was no evidence that Celaya knew Tran's intentions or beliefs. Sources claim that Tran is not legally allowed to own firearms due to mental health issues.

According to the press release, Celaya pleaded guilty in May 2024 to “making a material false statement when purchasing a firearm.”

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