A man from Afghanistan who had been illegally living in Phoenix for years was sentenced to nearly two years in prison, authorities reported Monday.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, a court sentenced Syed Haider Najib, 30, to 22 months in prison.
Prosecutors said the sentence was imposed after he pled guilty to possessing a handgun by a prohibited person, in this case, someone illegally in the United States.
Why was the Afghan man sentenced for having a gun?
Najib has been in the United States illegally since at least March 8, 2018, when his asylum application was denied and a US immigration judge issued a final order of removal, according to prosecutors.
However, because Afghanistan is currently experiencing a grave humanitarian crisis, he was not forced to return home.
Instead, he was ordered to be deported to a third nation, although none could be identified for him. Prosecutors said he was eventually released from detention.
Najib is forbidden from having a firearm due to his lack of valid immigration status.
Nonetheless, FBI agents discovered photographs and videos of Najib holding a pistol on social media in 2023.
Agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations discovered an AR-15-style gun, a high-capacity magazine, and more than 175 rounds of ammunition in his car in October 2023, according to prosecutors.
As part of his plea deal with the authorities, he agreed to relinquish the weapon and ammo.
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