SPENCER, IA (northwestiowanow.com) — A Texas man involved in Spencer’s flood cleanup efforts last year has been sentenced to federal prison for stealing firearms from a local business.

On July 16, in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, Hector Benavidez, 38, of Donna, Texas, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison after pleading guilty earlier this year to possession of firearms by a felon and possession of stolen firearms.

According to court documents, the case began when a routine gun audit at a Spencer store revealed two missing firearms. Investigators from the Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) traced the theft to Benavidez, who had been hired as part of a flood cleanup crew. The crew had access to a room where the firearms were stored.

Benavidez, who has a prior felony conviction for aggravated robbery in Texas, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the sentence, which also includes two years of supervised release following his prison term. Benavidez remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be transferred to a federal prison.