Two Men Indicted for Firearms Offenses

BOSTON – A Boston man and a Randolph man were indicted today in federal court in Boston with conspiring to deal firearms illegally. 

Charles A. Slayden, Jr., 25, of Boston, was charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. Levenson Merilus, 28, of Randolph, was charged with one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and one count of making false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer.

According to court documents, Slayden and Merilus conspired to purchase firearms from a licensed dealer and re-sell them for profit to individuals in Boston. In furtherance of this conspiracy, Merilus purchased at least seven guns from a licensed dealer, falsely claiming to be purchasing them for himself.

The charge of conspiring to deal in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  The charge of making false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer provides for a sentence of no greater than ten 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; Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today.

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.