Torres is a Mexican national who was in the United States without lawful authorization, prohibiting him from legally possessing a firearm.
INDIANAPOLIS – Jose de Jesus Rodriguez-Soto a/k/a Pedro Torres, 34, of Mexico, has been sentenced to 28 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
According to court documents, on June 27, 2023, IMPD officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic violence incident near Eagledale, in Indianapolis. Once officers arrived, the victim’s daughter reported that Torres came to their home with a pump-action shotgun and threatened to “kill them all.” Torres was still at the home and sitting in his vehicle with the firearm visible. Torres resisted the officers, but they were ultimately able to safely arrest him and secure the weapon.
The victim later informed officers that Torres sent her threatening text messages, which included a picture of the shotgun he brought to her home. Later that evening, Torres called the victim from jail and attempted to get her to drop the charges against him.
Torres is a Mexican national who was in the United States without lawful authorization, prohibiting him from legally possessing a firearm.
“Violent, illegally armed abusers pose a profound danger to those closest to them, police, and the entire community,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through our LEATH initiative, federal prosecutors will continue to work hand in hand with HSI, IMPD, and law enforcement agencies across the district to save lives by disarming domestic abusers and removing them from our communities.”
Homeland Security Investigations and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Torres be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for two years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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