Lora remains in custody while he awaits trial for a 2011 Springfield murder.
Manuel Lora
SPRINGFIELD - A 23-year-old city man with an extensive criminal history was sentenced to 40 months in prison Tuesday for unlawful possession of a firearm after admitting to taking target practice two years ago at the Smith & Wesson shooting range, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Manuel Lora was ordered to serve 40 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in September to possession of firearms and ammunition while under a felony indictment.
Lora has been in custody since June 2012 as he and two others await trial for the murder of 25-year-old Jonathan Tallaj. Tallaj was shot to death on Wilmont Street near his home on Aug. 23, 2011.
Three months prior to the shooting, Lora and two friends went to Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center on Page Boulevard where they rented various weapons and purchased ammunition to shoot at targets.
At the time, Lora had previously been convicted of felony distribution on drugs, and was under indictment on additional felony charges for possession of a class B substance with intent to distribute.
To gain access to the range, Lora falsely filled out range forms to say he had never been previously convicted of a felony.
His two friends who were with him at the range, Cody Brown and Leslie Evans, both 21, were each sentenced in September to 46 and 40 months in federal prison, respectively.
Smith & Wesson has since announced it was closing the shooting range to members of the public.