PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced Rafael Vega-Rodriguez, 42, of Reading, PA, was sentenced to 540 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, a $4,500 fine and an $800 special assessment for shooting at and attempting to kill three FBI special agents. In February of this year, Vega was convicted at trial of three counts of attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, three counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and two related firearms charges. On March 1, 2020, in Reading, FBI agents were conducting surveillance while looking for the defendant, who was the subject of an active state arrest warrant for a parole violation. At approximately 11:45 PM, the agents observed the defendant walking with a second individual. When the agents attempted to stop and arrest him pursuant to the warrant, Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from under his sweatshirt and fired at the agents. Vega-Rodriguez continued to shoot as he and the second individual fled from the scene. In total, Vega-Rodriguez fired four rounds at the agents. After an intense manhunt, investigators discovered Vega-Rodriguez had fled to Leola, Pennsylvania and in the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, FBI agents and Pennsylvania State Police Troopers located Vega-Rodriguez, who was hiding in a residence in Leola, and arrested him.
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