Lowell Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Firearm Offenses

BOSTON – A Lowell man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with advertising the sale of firearms on Snapchat.  

Juan Aparicio, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2022. Aparicio was indicted in August 2020.

In June 2019 and January 2020, Aparicio posted videos on his Snapchat offering to sell numerous firearms. A search of Aparicio’s residence resulted in the recovery of a loaded assault rifle and handgun. Due to previous convictions punishable by more than one year in prison, Aparicio is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; and Superintendent Raymond Kelly Richardson of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan Panich and Charles Dell’Anno of Rollins’ Office are prosecuting the case.

This case 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. PSN is 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.