OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Several people were federally sentenced in separate cases for firearm-related crimes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska announced several sentences out of federal court in recent days.
Jose Rodriguez-Medina, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 31 for possession of a machine gun.
According to the Department of Justice, Rodriguez-Medina was arrested after a traffic stop in North Platte. On March 9, 2021, the Nebraska State Patrol says they stopped Rodriguez-Medina for a traffic violation and a trooper could smell marijuana from the car.
Troopers conducted a search using probable cause and found 13 grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in the car. Rodriguez-Medina allegedly told the troopers about a Glock 21 in the trunk of the car.
The Department of Justice says the Glock 21 was modified to be fully automatic using a Glock switch, a device that converts a Glock pistol into a fully automatic firearm. A Glock switch is classified as a machine gun under federal law.
Rodriguez-Medina was sentenced to 36 months in prison and will serve three years of supervised release.
Devron Franklin, 33, was sentenced on June 3 as a felon in possession of a firearm.
Franklin was previously sentenced in July 2021 in district court for other charges including robbery, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest, and assault in the first degree.
His federal conviction stems from an incident on July 2, 2017. Officers said there was a vehicle accident near I-480 and Highway 75 North. A car was flipped on its side. Franklin was a passenger in the car. Officers said they found a handgun in the center console of the car. After a DNA test, police claim they determined the gun belonged to Franklin.
After serving his initial district court sentence of 50 years in state prison, Franklin will then begin his federal sentence of 51 months in prison. After release from federal prison, he will serve three years of supervised release.
Daniel Rojas, 28, was sentenced on June 2 as an addict in possession of a firearm and for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
In July 2020 police say they received information drugs were being sold out of an apartment complex on Cedar Street in Omaha. Officers claim they then saw a Mercedes leave the complex parking lot and commit a traffic violation. During the stop, police said they saw the driver, identified as Rojas, lean forward. A K-9 then alerted for drugs on the passenger side front window.
After searching the car, police said they found a black bag under the passenger seat with a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson SD40 firearm and roughly one gram of meth. Rojas was later arrested on federal charges and allegedly admitted to possessing meth. Police claim they found more than 100 grams of meth in Rojas’ car.
Rojas was sentenced to 87 months in prison and will serve five years of supervised release.
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