FUGITIVE ON ATF'S “MOST WANTED” LIST ARRESTED

PHOENIX – On July 9, 2012, Daniel Munoz Perez, 26, of Blackwater, Ariz., was arrested when he attempted to enter the United States near San Diego, Calif. Perez is wanted in connection with aggravated assault and armed robbery charges.

Perez was arrested at the Tecate, Calif., Port of Entry when he attempted to enter the United States from Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Perez on several outstanding warrants after confirming his identity. He is currently being held on federal charges.

Perez was initially indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix in January 2011. A superseding indictment, returned in June 2012, alleges that Perez interfered with commerce by threats, violence, and robbery; used a firearm in a crime of violence; was a felon in possession of a firearm; and stole firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer.

Perez was charged by the Pinal County Attorney's Office with two counts of aggravated assault on police officers, misconduct involving weapons, and felony theft.

A conviction for the federal offenses carries a maximum term of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. In determining an actual sentence, U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell will consult the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Coolidge Police Department. The federal prosecution is being handled by John Boyle, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix. The charges filed by the Pinal County Attorney's Office are being handled by Deputy County Attorneys Jill Sosin and Paul Ahler.