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09:46 GMT, Thursday, 15 May 2008 10:46 UK

Net video lands US man in prison

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A US man who posted an internet video in which he taunted police to arrest him has been jailed for more than six years by a court in Miami, Florida.

Rudy Villanueva, 31, last year filmed himself waving guns in the air, inviting police to "come get some".

Police took Villanueva up on the offer in January, seizing several weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the flat where the video was made.

He later pleaded guilty to firearms charges, but said he had meant no harm.

Villanueva argued that the video, posted on video-sharing website YouTube, was a misunderstanding.

In the video, he was seen saying: "We's out here, we fighting a cold war."

"Metro Dade Gang unit, here I am baby. You know you hate seeing me like this," he said, taunting the city's anti-gang police officers.

On Wednesday, District Judge Marcia Cooke rejected Villanueva's arguments that he was only joking in the video and never sought to threaten the police.

The judge sent Villanueva to jail for six-and-a-half years, noting that he had 15 prior arrests.



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