RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Julio Cesar Alvarado Dubon, previously accused of plotting a mass shooting in Richmond, Virginia on Independence Day, was sentenced in federal court for a firearm charge on Thursday, Jan. 25. According to court documents, Dubon has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for possessing a firearm while in the country illegally. Following his sentence, he will be transferred to the custody of Booked Immigration Customs Enforcement for a deportation hearing.
The Department of Justice will ultimately decide if Dubon will be credited with time already served, or if any of these 16 months will be served in addition to the months already spent in custody. Dubon had previously pled not guilty to the charge in August 2022 but later entered into a plea agreement in October 2022.
Police found Dubon on the 3000 block of Columbia Street on July 1, 2022, after investigating a tip of a mass shooting plot, according to court records. Officers found multiple firearms, a handgun magazine, and a round of rifle ammunition in his home.
Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith stated that officers seized two AR-15 assault rifles, a handgun, and over 200 rounds of ammunition from Dubon days after the initial incident. It was later confirmed that these firearms had traveled across state or foreign lines.
A review of ICE documentation revealed that Dubon had overstayed his visa for more than seven years. Despite purchasing a plane ticket to leave the U.S. in 2014, he never boarded the plane and continued to depart and re-enter the United States, violating the terms of his visa.
The mass shooting plot charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence proving Dubon and an alleged co-conspirator were planning to commit acts of violence on the 4th of July. This is a developing story, and further updates will be made available.