Criminal Justice

Fla. Felon Gets 6 Years for Posting YouTube AK-47 Video

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Posting a videotape on YouTube in which he waved an AK-47 assault rifle and taunted South Florida police has cost a convicted felon another six years in prison.

That’s the sentence a federal judge imposed today on reputed street gang leader Rudy Villanueva, 31, who pleaded guilty in February to being a felon in possession of firearms seen on the video clip, reports the Associated Press.

As discussed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, Villanueva faced a possible sentence of as much as 10 years.

”Metro-Dade gang unit, here I am, baby,” Villanueva reportedly said in the video, smirking, as he displayed an AK-47. “You know you hate seeing me like this.”

He now says the video was a joke, made while kidding around with friends and never meant to be taken seriously, according to the news agency.

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