Ohio man sentenced in Kane County for illegal gun purchase

An Ohio man was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for the straw purchase of a firearm in 2016, Kane County officials said Monday.

Favio Velazquez, 40, of the 3800 block of Habitat Street in Columbus, found guilty of the felony unlawful purchase of .50-caliber rifle Oct. 18, 2013 from 1st Class Firearms in Zion, according to a news release from the Kane County state's attorney. At the time of the purchase, he filled out a federal firearms transactions record saying he was the actual buyer of the gun.

Authorities from the Elgin Police Department, Homeland Security and Kane County sheriff's office served a search warrant Aug. 12, 2016 at a storage facility on the 600 block of Big Timber Road and found multiple weapons - including the rifle Velazquez purchased - inside a storage unit. Velazquez had no connection to the storage unit, which officials said was rented by Juan Mexicano of Addison.

Mexicano was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to nine felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon for possessing guns and ammunition in the storage locker, the release said.

Dana J. Prouty and Ira A. Burdine were convicted in Lake County court for offenses related to selling the weapon to Velazquez.

Velazquez faced a sentence of probation or up to seven years in prison had he been convicted at trial. He received credit for one day served in the Kane County jail. He had been free on $20,000 bond.