Boston Man Sentenced for Firearm Possession

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Christian Teixeira, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and was then sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 43 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

On May 2, 2019, while in Fall River, Teixeira was found in possession of a KAHR PM9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Teixeira has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Fall River Police Chief Jeffrey Cardoza made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a 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 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.