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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Commander' of New Mexico group that detained migrants near border is sentenced
A New Mexico man who had been described as a "commander" of a group (United Constitutional Patriots) accused of detaining migrants was sentenced to nearly two years in prison Wednesday for illegally possessing guns, prosecutors said. Larry Mitchell Hopkins, 70, was sentenced to 21 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico said in a statement.
Hopkins pleaded guilty in January under a plea agreement and admitted to having possessed nine pistols, rifles and shotguns on Nov. 28, 2017, in San Juan County, the U.S. attorney's office said. Hopkins is barred from owning guns because of previous convictions in Michigan, Oregon and South Dakota.
Hopkins was arrested in April 2019. His arrest occurred after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, demanded that members of a militia group, some of whom were armed, stop detaining migrants at the New Mexico-Mexico border. The group had been accused by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico of capturing nearly 300 people near Sunland Park, N.M., a city about 10 miles from El Paso, Texas.
Hopkins had previously been convicted in three states of criminal impersonation of a peace officer, gun possession and federal charges of failure to pay child support, which barred him from owning guns, prosecutors said. 'Hopkins' attorney, Kelly O'Connell wrote that Hopkins,70, is obese and in poor health, and she cited concerns that if he gets the coronavirus illness, COVID-19, in prison he could die.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/commander-mexico-group-detained-migrants-025201918.html
hatrack
(59,442 posts)left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)LastDemocratInSC
(3,625 posts)If he had a really long and colorful feather to go on that cap.
Javaman
(62,442 posts)long pretending to be something he isn't, it finally caught up with the racist prick.
mercuryblues
(14,491 posts)It was kidnapping and should have been charged with that.
awesomerwb1
(4,256 posts)Should've got 5 years.
Dem2
(8,166 posts)Rump will probably pardon him.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)Except for the guy on the far right, who actually looks pretty tough, these all look like they spend every evening in their garages with a 12-pack of PBR.
onethatcares
(16,133 posts)for felon in possession? WTF is up with that? I was under the impression it was a mandatory 5 years. With two other convictions he should be in a federal pen for the rest of his life.
I don't know how to check his previous military status, can anyone run that?