Brazilian National Sentenced for Selling Firearms Without a License and Conspiracy

BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in Massachusetts has been sentenced for conspiring to sell firearms without a license.  

Lucas Henrique Moreira DePaiva, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin on July 22, 2024 to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In April 2025, Moreira DePaiva pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.

Between Feb. 28, 2024 and Sept. 17, 2024, Moreira DePaiva sold 15 firearms across 10 dates in exchange for cash. In addition to firearms, Moreira DePaiva also sold ammunition and magazines. In February 2024, he also conspired with another individual to sell one of these firearms.    

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Weymouth and Malden Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.