San Antonio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Robbing Pawn Shop and Selling Stolen Firearms Online

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 192 months in prison for the armed robbery of a Federal Firearms Licensed pawn shop, as well as conspiring to traffic firearms stolen during the robbery.

According to court documents, Antonio Hinojosa Jr., 21, conspired with others over a social media chat to rob a San Antonio pawn shop. On May 18, 2023, the group, wearing gloves, masks, and dark clothing, robbed the pawn shop and threatened store employees by brandishing firearms. They succeeded in stealing 14 firearms and more than $8,600 worth of jewelry before fleeing in a getaway truck. After the robbery, Hinojosa posted photos of the stolen firearms on social media to advertise and sell them to his contacts.

Hinojosa was arrested June 26, 2023. He pleaded guilty March 7 to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms.

Co-defendant, Joshua Michael Govea, whose role in the robbery was to detain the store workers at gunpoint, pleaded guilty to the robbery conspiracy and brandishing charges. Govea was sentenced to 117 months last week. Two additional co-defendants, Cesar Alan Garcia and Sebastian Louis Xavier Suarez, are pending trial and remain in custody. As is customary in the judicial process, Garcia and Suarez are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve prosecuted the case.

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