Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Being an Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Possessing Fraudulent Immigration Documents

BOSTON - A Mexican national illegally residing in Springfield pleaded guilty yesterday to firearms and immigration crimes.

Manreal Altamirano-Navarro, whose true age is unknown, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a person unlawfully in the United States and two counts of possession of fraudulent immigration documents. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Jan. 18, 2019.

On Dec. 20, 2017, Altamirano-Navarro possessed a firearm while he was unlawfully in the United States and possessed two fraudulent immigration documents. Specifically, Altamirano-Navarro possessed a Ruger .22 caliber pistol, and, while walking on Calhoun Street in Springfield, he fired the pistol into the air. A law enforcement officer observed Altamirano-Navarro as he fired his weapon and informed nearby officers who then arrested the defendant. After arresting Altamirano-Navarro, law enforcement seized from him a fraudulent permanent resident card and a fraudulent resident alien card, both of which displayed Altamirano-Navarro’s photo.

The charge of possession of a firearm by a person unlawfully in the United States provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of between $20,000 and $200,000. The charges of possession of fraudulent immigration documents each provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $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 Andrew E. Lelling; Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Springfield Police Commissioner John Barbieri made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil L. Desroches of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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.