A Modesto, Calif. man who pleaded guilty twice to smuggling guns to the Philippines was sentenced to five years and four months in federal prison Monday.
Richard Dean Pedrioli, 46, originally was indicted for smuggling 74 firearms and 1,400 primers that agents seized aboard a commercial aircraft at San Francisco International Airport last February. Pedrioli already had pleaded guilty in the first case when he was charged in August with having a Utah woman smuggle 70 handguns into the Philippines."The court does not condone shipping illegal weapons to other countries, particularly while on bail from a guilty plea in a similar case," U.S. District Judge Robert Coyle told Pedrioli prior to sentencing.
Coyle then ordered a 64-month prison sentence for Pedrioli as requested by Asst. U.S. Attorney Carl Blackstone. The defense had asked the judge to go along with a probation recommendation that the prison term run 51 months.
Pedrioli said he is cooperating with authorities in an attempt to gain freedom for Utah fashion model Dominique Adams, 22. She was arrested at the Manila airport Aug. 19 and accused of bringing guns into the country in six crates marked as auto parts.
She said she didn't now what was in the crates, and Pedrioli has given a deposition clearing her of any knowledge of the shipment. However, she could face 14 years in prison in the Philippines, and Blackstone said "it doesn't look good for her."
Pedrioli said government agents plan to contact him again about the woman's involvement and who he was selling guns to in the Philippines.
"With this cooperation, I have pretty much severed my ties I have with anyone in the Philippines," he said.
The judge said he opted for the longer sentence because of the second violation which "seems like a pretty intricate operation to me" despite Pedrioli's claim that he hadn't done much planning.
Coyle said the defendant used the license of another gun dealer because his had been revoked in the first incident and bought arms from other dealers using false names.
"From outward appearances, you apparently were an exemplary citizen of Modesto," Coyle added.
The defense contended that Pedrioli only got involved in gun running a second time to provide his wife with some funds while he is in prison, and he apologized to her and the judge before being sentenced.
"They made me an offer," Pedrioli said without specifying who they were.