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San Antonio man sentenced to 70 months in connection with gun theft trafficking ring, feds say

Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, and second suspect pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2025

Jail Bars Gavel Prison Courts Crime Justice (KPRC2/Click2Houston.com)

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his involvement with a gun theft and trafficking conspiracy ring, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Alcapone Maximus Pena, 23, between January and October 2023, is alleged to have been involved in the theft of firearms and vehicles in and around the San Antonio area. Pena also dealt with the sale of the stolen firearms, according to a DOJ news release.

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A codefendant, 27-year-old Nathan Tyler Padilla, and others aided Pena in the crimes, including breaking into vehicles identified as being likely to have firearms inside, the release said.

Investigators linked Padilla’s cell phone to the vehicle thefts and determined Padilla would receive a share of the proceeds from selling the stolen firearms.

A search of Pena’s home by investigators on Oct. 25, 2025, ended with a seizure of 14 firearms.

Seventeen other firearms determined to be trafficked by Pena were located with a separate search warrant.

Both men were named in a seven-count indictment filed on Nov. 15, 2025.

Pena was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession of stolen firearms, according to the release.

Padilla, who had been previously convicted on Aug. 16, 2023, for evading arrest, was charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of possession of ammunition by a felon in connection with the indictment, according to the release.

The pair pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2025. Padilla was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison.


About the Author
Mason Hickok headshot

Mason Hickok is a digital journalist at KSAT. He graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a communication degree and a minor in film studies. He also spent two years working at The Paisano, the independent student newspaper at UTSA. Outside of the newsroom, he enjoys the outdoors, reading and watching movies.

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