Honduran illegals convicted for shooting at local hotel — Prison fence. Grid fence with barbed wire against sunset. Barbed wire. Security measures for prisoners in prison.

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Walter Geovanni Arteta-Gonzalez, 33, and Santos Fernando Zepeda-Arteta, 21, both originally from Honduras, have been sentenced to imprisonment for firearm possession by a prohibited person. Arteta-Gonzalez received an 18-month sentence on July 10, 2024, while Zepeda-Arteta was sentenced to 14 months on July 11, 2024. Additionally, Arteta-Gonzalez was sentenced for illegal reentry after removal.

During sentencing hearings before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government established that both men possessed firearms despite knowing they were in the United States without legal documentation. The incidents that led to their arrests occurred on November 27, 2023, when Springfield Police responded to a report of shots fired at a local hotel. Upon investigating, reviewing hotel surveillance footage, and interviewing eyewitnesses, both Arteta-Gonzalez and Zepeda-Arteta admitted to possessing firearms and were observed on video firing shots into the air.

Arteta-Gonzalez admitted to firing rounds outside his hotel room “just for fun,” while the gun possessed by Zepeda-Arteta was discovered to be stolen from St. Louis, Missouri. Both men have been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since their arrests in November 2023.

The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person include up to 15 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 special assessment. Arteta-Gonzalez’s additional charge for illegal reentry into the country after a prior removal carries statutory penalties of up to 2 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Sierra-Senor Moore represented the government in the prosecution.

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