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Press Release

Crest Hill Man And His Sister Indicted For Allegedly Conspiring To Illegally Buy Firearms In Missouri And Ship Them To Illinois

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois

CHICAGO — A suburban Crest Hill man who is barred from possessing firearms because he is a convicted felon and his sister in Missouri were indicted on federal charges for allegedly conspiring to have her illegally purchase at least five firearms in Missouri and ship them to him in Illinois. RICHARD CARRINO and his sister, ANGEL MARIE CARRINO, were charged in a seven-count superseding indictment that was returned yesterday by a federal grand jury, Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Larry Ford, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Chicago, announced today.

Richard Carrino, also known as “R.J.,” 28, of Crest Hill, was initially indicted alone in March on three counts of being a felon-in-possession of firearms following an undercover investigation by ATF agents. He was arrested on April 3, pleaded not guilty, and remains in federal custody without bond pending trial.

Angela Marie Carrino, 24, of O’Fallon, Mo., was added as a defendant in the new indictment and will be arraigned at a later date in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

Both were charged with conspiring between November 2012 and February 2013 to have Angela Marie Carrino make illegal “straw purchases” of firearms from licensed dealers in Missouri, and illegally transfer them to her brother, a convicted felon, knowing that he lived in a different state. They allegedly discussed types of guns to obtain and Richard Carrino sent his sister money to make the purchases. She allegedly falsely certified that she was the actual buyer of the firearms and then shipped at least five firearms from Missouri to her brother in Illinois. Richard Carrino, in turn, allegedly sold or transferred three of the firearms to an undercover agent, believing in at least one transaction that the individual was a convicted felon, according to the indictment.

Angela Marie Carrino was also charged with three counts of illegally transferring firearms across state lines, while Richard remains charged with the three original counts of being a felon-in-possession of firearms.

Three of the firearms – two .45 caliber semi-automatic Hi-Point pistols and a 9- millimeter semi-automatic Hi-Point model C-9 handgun – were obtained by ATF agents during the investigation and the indictment seeks forfeiture of those guns.

The conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and each count of illegally transferring or possessing firearms carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher McFadden.

The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Superseding Indictment

Updated July 27, 2015