Mike Madriaga
Audio By Carbonatix
The owner of Phoenix’s most distinctive taco truck was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison on Tuesday for a firearms charge and employing undocumented immigrants to work at his businesses, which include a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
“In this Court’s view,” said Judge Diana Humetewa during the sentencing hearing, “there is a necessity to impose a sentence to deter you from future criminal conduct and promote the rule of law.”
The judge sentenced Blademir Angulo Audeves to two months more than the prosecutors’ request. He was given 20 months for the firearms charge and six months for the employment charge, which he will serve concurrently.
After that time, Angulo Audeves will receive 36 months of supervised release. Within 72 hours of his release, he’ll be required to report in person to the probation office, “if you are not deported,” before then, Humetewa said.
After the judge’s announcement of his sentence, Angulo Audeves, with his hands cuffed in front of him by a metal chain that went around his waist, gave a small wave and smile to his family and friends, who filed the gallery behind him.
Three U.S. Marshals escorted him out of the sixth-floor courtroom in downtown Phoenix. The El Taco Loko owner is likely to be deported to Mexico after the completion of his sentence.
The 42-year-old father of two was arrested in early July after federal agents executed a search warrant for his Valley home, three physical locations of his business and a 16th Avenue home where several of his undocumented employees were living.
Prosecutors argued he helped smuggle workers into the country after WhatsApp messages between him and an alleged smuggler were discovered. Three guns, which Angulo Audeves isn’t legally allowed to own as he is undocumented, were also discovered in the closet of his master bedroom. He said the guns were gifts.
Court documents from the defendant describe the raid as violent and damaging, as “agents crashed an armored vehicle through his front gate and detained his children at gunpoint.”
Both of his children, who are teenagers, are U.S. citizens. His wife, who has a work authorization card and is in the country legally, was also initially taken into custody but later released.
Federal agents picked up 12 of Angulo Audeves’ undocumented employees during the searches as well.
In mid-August, Angulo Audeves pleaded guilty to two charges as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors to drop two additional charges relating to harboring undocumented immigrants and improper entry into the country.
Ahead of the sentencing hearing, Angulo Audeves faced between 30 and 37 months in prison, but the plea agreement ensured the sentence couldn’t exceed 30 months.
Zach Buchanan
Inside the Sandra Day O’Connor federal courthouse on Tuesday, Angulo Audeves stood next to his lawyer, Nicholas Bustamante, who argued that his client shouldn’t get any additional time and only be sentenced to time served, which is 112 days. Bustamente declined to comment on Audeves’ case after the hearing.
As Angulo Audeves stood in his prison-issued orange shirt and pants, black headphones, which hung below his chin, translated the hearing into Spanish in his ears. Standing next to him, Bustamante argued that time served was a just punishment because Angulo Audeves’ life had already been “unalterably changed,” according to sentencing court documents.
“I’d like to ask for your forgiveness and state to you that it was never in my mind to use these weapons against anybody,” Angulo Audeves told the court in Spanish through a translator who sat next to the judge during his sentencing. “Could I please get the opportunity to go back to my country of origin? I have a plan to be able to move back there and hopefully after some time, I’d be able to return to this country legally.”
All of the business’s food trucks, including the iconic, brightly lit 2007 Blue Bird All American Diesel bus, were forfeited to the government as part of the plea agreement, as were Angulo Audeves’ firearms and ammunition. Angulo Audeves’ teenage daughter, Ruby, also told the court that the family is “closing our business since there’s no money coming in.” The Maryvale brick-and-mortar restaurant was not forfeited to the government; however, the business is listed as permanently closed.
Several members of the community, including 22 state Democratic lawmakers, a Phoenix police sergeant and Angulo Audeves’ daughter wrote character letters to ask for leniency on Angulo Audeves’ behalf.
“Mr. Angulo has already paid a price far beyond what is just. His reputation has been tarnished, his family humiliated, and his children scarred,” the letter that 22 state lawmakers signed onto stated. “We respectfully urge you to exercise fairness and compassion in sentencing.”
Still, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Arizona argued that Angulo Audeves knew he was breaking the law and took the risk anyway. They also pointed to a high-powered Mossberg .22 LR Rifle found in his master bedroom closet, which Angulo Audeves said was a gift to scare off coyotes, as an area of concern. He said he never had to use it, but prosecutors requested the court sentence Angulo Audeves to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
Bustamante argued his client should be allowed to return to Mexico, start earning money and rebuild his life there to support his wife and children, who will remain in the U.S. Angulo Audeves also plans to seek legal reentry to the country through a pending U-Visa application. However, the Humetewa expressed doubt at that possibility.
“Given this background and history, I’m not entirely sure whether you’re going to be successful at petitioning to come into the United States,” she said during the hearing.
