Pawtucket Felon Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Possession Of A Machine Gun, Ammunition

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Isaiah Gasperini, 30, of Pawtucket, was sentenced today in federal court in Providence to 132 months and one day in federal prison for being in possession of an unregistered machine gun and ammunition, and for violating the terms of supervised release following a lengthy federal prison sentence on a previous federal firearm conviction, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.

Gasperini was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi to serve 120 months in federal prison on his most recent conviction for possession of a machine gun and being a felon in possession of ammunition, to be followed by a consecutive sentence of 12 months and one day in federal prison for violating the terms of supervised release for a 2003 conviction on a firearm charge.

In 2003, Gasperini was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Gasperini was on supervised release at the time of his most recent in June 2012.

He pleaded guilty to the most recent charges on November 29, 2012.

According to information presented to the court, at approximately 3 A.M., on June 12, 2012, Providence Police received calls from a residential neighborhood of repeated gun fire. As an unmarked police vehicle approached the area, an officer witnessed a vehicle leaving the area and failing to stop at a stop sign. When the officer attempted to stop the vehicle, it sped up and traveled onto Rte. 95. The vehicle came to a stop several minutes later when it attempted to exit Rte. 95 in Pawtucket and crashed into a truck.

As the officer approached the vehicle, Gasperini fled on foot, but was quickly apprehended and arrested following a brief struggle. Additional officers responded to the area and recovered a loaded 9mm machine gun a short distance from the vehicle, and more than 120 rounds of ammunition, duct tape, gloves and a ski mask from inside the vehicle.

The matter was investigated by Providence Police with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.

Contact: 401-709-5357
USARI.Media@usdoj.gov