Wilmington Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Receipt Of A Gun and Ammunition

WILMINGTON, Del. – A Wilmington man was sentenced on April 27 to 10 years in federal prison by the Honorable Colm F. Connolly, U.S. District Judge for the District of Delaware, for receipt of a firearm and ammunition with the intent that a felony would be committed with that firearm and ammunition. David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, made the announcement.

According to court documents, Angel Ortiz, 36, was arrested by the New Castle County Police   Department on November 29, 2018, after he got out of a car during a traffic stop, ran away, and threw a loaded firearm.  The firearm was recovered and found to be a Remington 1911 .45 caliber handgun with an extended magazine. Mr. Ortiz had previously been convicted of a felony offense and was not legally permitted to possess the Remington handgun.

U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “Violent crime destroys neighborhoods.  Together with our law enforcement partners, my Office is committed to doing all we can to get guns off our community’s streets and out of the hands of individuals who illegally possess them.”   

“In our fight against violent crime, every gun taken off the street is a small victory, and every gun trafficker locked up is a big one," said Rachel Byrd, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. "The FBI and our partners are committed to working together across jurisdictions to take down the criminals wreaking such havoc in our communities.”

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a federal program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.   The U.S. Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the FBI-Baltimore Division’s Wilmington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen McCartney and Laura Hatcher.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 19-3-CFC.