Three Men Get Prison Terms in Case of Illegal Guns, Silencers
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Describing him as “a gentleman quite willing to bring down his friends,” U.S. District Judge David V. Kenyon sentenced a Santa Ana man to four years in federal prison for possessing 31 illegal guns and silencers.
Michael Butler, 32, pleaded guilty to the charges last month. Two of Butler’s friends, Ronald Zorola, 32, of Santa Ana and Steven Johnston, 32, of Costa Mesa, were also sentenced Monday.
Zorola must serve four months in federal prison and five years on probation for allowing Butler to store the guns and silencers in his garage. Johnston was sentenced to six months in prison and five years on probation for his role in moving the guns and silencers to Zorola’s garage.
Butler, who is awaiting sentencing on similar weapons charges in Orange County Superior Court, told Kenyon: “I can’t express how sorry I am.”
He told Kenyon that he collected the weapons for his own use.
“What concerns me is this fascination for the illegal,” Kenyon said before imposing the sentences. “Why risk family and career for some dumb gun?”
The three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in October after an investigation by the Costa Mesa Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
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