(This story has been updated to correct the name of a neighborhood.)
A 42-year-old Southern California man was sentenced to over three years in federal prison on July 27 for his involvement in anti-ICE protests last year.
Ismael Vega, a resident of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $253,415, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
He is the fifth defendant to be sentenced for actions taken during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in the state. The lead defendant in the case, a Rampart Village man, faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14.
Why is he being sentenced?
Vega pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court on April 29 to one felony count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder, DOJ officials said.
The charges stem from a June 8 incident where a group of protesters threw rocks, fireworks and lit debris over the railing of a Highway 101 overpass at California Highway Patrol officers trapped underneath, the DOJ said.
The Westlake man and other protesters lit debris on fire, such as cardboard and vegetation, and attempted to help others light it, DOJ officials said.
Vega also knowingly lined up a lit piece of cardboard to drop on the hood of a CHP vehicle and threw rocks at officers attempting to clear the debris.
Along with the felony count, he also admitted that he knew officers were under the overpass and that dropping the objects onto a vehicle created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to them. He also admitted that he intended to obstruct officers by throwing rocks.
Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights, was named as a codefendant in the case. Flores poured a liquid onto burning debris that increased the size of the flames, officials said. Vega was next to Flores when he used his hands to motion toward and gesture at the fire, the Justice Department said.
Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 3 and faces a maximum of five years in prison.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Man sentenced to over 3 years for actions during LA anti-ICE protest
Reporting by Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ernesto Centeno Araujo, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
