Brazilian National Sentenced for Possessing Firearms

BOSTON – A Brazilian national, who entered the United States illegally in 2002, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to time served yesterday in federal court in Boston for possessing firearms and ammunition.

Acemar Damaceno, 38, who formerly resided in Weymouth, pleaded guilty to one count of being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, before U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper, who sentenced Damaceno to time-served (approximately 13 months in prison).  

Law enforcement authorities received information that a man known as “Marcus” was offering to sell firearms to a confidential informant (CI). On March 11, 2017, the CI visited Marcus’ home in Weymouth where Marcus stated that he would kill anybody for a fee. Marcus proceeded to show the CI a .45 caliber handgun, a shotgun, and a bag containing various amounts of ammunition that Marcus hid in the basement of his home. Marcus also offered to sell the .45 caliber handgun to the CI for $1500. The CI cooperated with law enforcement officers and identified Marcus as Acemar Damaceno. 

On April 7, 2017, law enforcement officers stopped Damaceno in his vehicle as he left his home, at which time Damaceno admitted that he was not a citizen and that he was illegally present in the United States. Damaceno was administratively arrested. During a search of his residence, a .45 caliber Kimber Ultra Ten II pistol loaded with ten .45 caliber rounds of ammunition and an Iver Johnson Champion shotgun were recovered. A trace of the Kimber pistol determined that it was reported stolen in Connecticut in October 2011.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Peter C. Fitzhugh Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.