A 25-year-old Mexican national, Arturo Perez Ramirez, was sentenced on April 24 in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, according to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Ramirez was arrested by Seattle Police on December 1, 2024, after being found driving a stolen car and fleeing from officers during a short chase. A firearm was discovered inside the vehicle.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and prosecutors to address gun violence and promote community safety through targeted prosecutions. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “Terrorizing a community is not something we can tolerate.”
Court records show that Ramirez came to the United States from Mexico as an infant and has had multiple encounters with law enforcement as both a juvenile and an adult. He is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous conviction for attempted robbery, for which he received more than 57 months in prison in February 2023. Prosecutors wrote to the court requesting a longer sentence: “His convictions run the gamut from violent robberies and firearm offenses to stolen cars, escapes, thefts, and eluding. He spent a considerable amount of his youth detained in juvenile facilities. If facing criminal justice system consequences served as a deterrent for the defendant, he would not be facing deportation to a country in which he has not resided since infancy.”
Following his prison term, Ramirez will likely face removal proceedings. Judge Martinez emphasized that if Ramirez returns illegally again he could face even longer sentences.
The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), while Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson prosecuted it.
The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington promotes community safety through programs addressing gun violence and online threats according to its official website. The office operates out of Seattle and Tacoma according to its official website, is part of the U.S Department of Justice according to its official website, includes about 85 attorneys and 70 support staff according to its official website, handles federal prosecutions and civil litigation according to its official website, covers Western Washington areas including Seattle and Tacoma according to its official website, enforces federal criminal laws alongside law enforcement agencies while providing legal counsel on behalf of the federal government—staffing more than 150 people—and leads federal drug court programs according to its official website.
