Straw buyer gets probation
Man purchased gun later used in cop shooting
A 25-year-old West Allis man was sentenced Tuesday to two years of federal probation after he was convicted of the straw-purchase of a pistol later used to shoot Milwaukee Police Officer Brandon Baranowski.
Emanuel Romo was the original purchaser of the Ruger .22-caliber handgun used in the shooting in July. Romo did not know the man who shot the officer — the gun changed hands multiple times before reaching the shooter — but he did know he was buying the weapon for his cousin, Alonso Sandoval, who at age 19 was prohibited from purchasing a handgun under federal law, according to court records.
Romo bought the gun from the Shooters Shop in West Allis on Jan. 31, 2014. He and Sandoval came to the attention of police when authorities traced the weapon after the officer shooting, and both were charged with federal gun-related offenses.
Sandoval, who also had the gun for a time after he had a felony marijuana conviction, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The men pleaded guilty in October. As part of the plea negotiations, prosecutors agreed to recommend two years of probation for Romo and to follow federal sentencing guidelines in their recommendation for Sandoval, who faced a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
U.S. District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Romo to the recommended two years of probation, and earlier this month he sentenced Sandoval to 20 months in prison.
Sandoval told investigators he sold the gun to a suspected gang member. The weapon eventually reached Tomas Uriegas, who is accused of using it to ambush Baranowski on July 17 while the officer responded to a domestic violence call, according to police.
Authorities said Uriegas committed suicide soon after the shooting. Baranowski was treated for gunshot wounds at a hospital and released several days later. Baranowski received the department's Purple Valor/Purple Star medal — one of the department's highest honors — while he recovered in the hospital.