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Arizona border group member gets prison for firearms charges

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Posted at 6:46 AM, Aug 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-29 09:48:04-04

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A man who was briefly part of an armed border group in Arizona has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison on firearms charges.

Prosecutors say Joshua Pratchard received a 75-month prison term Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tucson.

Pratchard drove from California in January 2018 to work with an armed group that patrols the U.S.-Mexico border near Arivaca for illegal border crossings.

He was kicked out of Arizona Border Recon after a few days for allegedly wanting to physically detain migrants, confront drug bandits and use a silencer on his weapon.

Federal authorities investigated Pratchard and reported finding pieces of equipment used to build firearms and enough gunpowder to make about 9,000 rounds of ammunition in his San Diego home.