Pennsylvania Man Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Selling Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Firearms To New Jersey Resident

NEWARK, N.J. – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for illegally selling firearms and ammunition on multiple occasions for thousands of dollars in cash, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Eduardo Velasquez, 63, of Reading, Pa., previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to an information charging him with one count of illegally dealing in firearms. Judge Walls imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

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

Velasquez admitted that he traveled from Pennsylvania to Jersey City, N.J., on five separate occasions, between July 5, 2012, and Oct. 18, 2012, for the purpose of selling firearms. Velasquez sold 11 firearms to a New Jersey resident for more than $9,000. The firearms sold by Velasquez included: (1) two SKS 39 mm rifles; (2) a Mossberg Model 88 shotgun; (3) a Winchester Model 1300 12-gauge shotgun; (4) a Mossberg Model 190 16-gauge shotgun; (5) a stolen Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun; (7) a Smith & Wesson .41 caliber revolver; (8) a Taurus PT917 9 mm semi-automatic pistol; (9) a Desert Eagle .44 caliber semi-automatic pistol; and (10) a Smith & Wesson SW99 .40 caliber handgun.  

Velasquez sold multiple high-capacity magazines and more than 80 rounds of ammunition, including several hollow-point bullets. Velasquez indicated to the buyer that he often shipped firearms to the Dominican Republic, and could procure additional long guns, such as double-barrel shotguns and military rifles. 

In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Velasquez to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Tomas Espinosa Esq. Union City, N.J.