A 44-year-old Mexican national who fled from Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies last year while operating a stolen vehicle has been sentenced to over three years in federal prison for possessing a firearm.
On Tuesday, Miguel Vargas-Narez was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II to spend 40 months in federal prison following his convictions for illegally reentering the United States and possessing a firearm by an alien who is unlawfully in the United States.
Vargas had pleaded guilty to the charges on June 1, 2022.
According to court records, Vargas is a citizen and national of Mexico. He has previously been deported from the United States four times and has been convicted of illegally reentering the United States after being deported on two prior occasions.
On November 18, 2021, Vargas fled from MCSO deputies in a stolen vehicle at a high rate of speed. Vargas eventually crashed the vehicle in a pasture and attempted to flee on foot.
When Vargas was apprehended by a K-9 unit, a loaded pistol was found in his waistband. In his pants pockets, deputies discovered another pistol with a scratched-off serial number, 38 rounds of 9mm ammunition, and seven rounds of .25 caliber ammunition.
As a person not lawfully present in the United States, Vargas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.