Colorado Woman Admits Participation In Conspiracy To Illegally Transfer Firearms

TRENTON, N.J. – A former resident of Colorado today admitted her involvement in a conspiracy to illegally transfer firearms from Colorado to a felon in New Jersey, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Krystel Lopez, 28, of Greeley, Colorado, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson in Trenton federal court to one count of an indictment charging her with conspiracy to illegally transfer firearms interstate.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Between February and April 2013, Lopez purchased an assault rifle and a handgun in Colorado. Later in April 2013, she mailed both the assault rifle and the handgun to the business address of a known felon in New Jersey, who was prohibited from possessing such weapons.

The charge of conspiracy to illegally transfer firearms interstate to a known felon carries a maximum sentence five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2016.

U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.