A man from the United Arab Emirates who was living in Melbourne illegally was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by an unlawful alien, the Department of Justice announced Monday.
- Hamid Mohamed Ahmed Ali Rehaif, 25, was a student at FIT in Melbourne
- He was found guilty by a federal jury in May 2016
- Judge sentenced him to 18 months in federal prison
U.S. District Judge John Antoon II sentenced Hamid Mohamed Ahmed Ali Rehaif, 25, of Melbourne. He will be deported back to the United Arab Emirates after he serves his prison term.
He was found guilty by a federal jury in May 2016.
According to evidence presented during the trial, Rehaif was admitted to the United States in 2013 under a student visa so that he could attend the Florida Institute of Technology. After completing three semesters at FIT, Rehaif was academically dismissed in December 2014.
As a result, Rehaif became an unlawful alien when he failed to immediately depart from the United States. During that time, he possessed firearms and ammunition at a local shooting range in Melbourne, the Department of Justice said in a release.
"In addition, he provided ammunition to two hotel employees as 'gifts,'" the release stated.
The federal jury also found that Rehaif illegally purchases three other firearms.
Law enforcement agents initially made contact with Rehaif in December 2015 at a hotel in Melbourne where he had been living for about two months. According to court documents, Rehaif stayed at the hotel for 53 consecutive days and paid more than $11,000 in room fees. Authorities found rounds of handgun and rifle ammunition in his hotel room and in a storage unit Rehaif had rented.
No firearms were located, though.
The case was investigated by several agencies, including the FBI and the Melbourne Police Department.