Florida Resident Sentenced in Rhode Island for Possessing a Machinegun and an Unregistered Firearm

PROVIDENCE – A Florida resident who often stayed at a residence in Coventry has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, having been convicted of possession of a firearm and possession of an unregistered firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

Joshua Pavao, 45, previously admitted to a federal judge that he possessed an unregistered semi-automatic weapon modified to function as a fully automatic machine gun which had a barrel length of 10 and 5/8 inches, substantially less than the 16 inches required by law.

Court documents reflect that in December 2023, Pavao engaged East Providence Police, who were investigating a report of shots fired, in a high-speed car chase that resulted in multiple motor vehicle crashes. Pavao fled on foot from his vehicle but was quickly apprehended. Upon his arrest officers discovered three loaded firearms and a multitude of ammunition and loaded pistol magazines in and around his vehicle and nearby.

Shortly after Pavao’s arrest, Coventry Police Department and East Providence Police Department Detectives and ATF agents executed a court-authorized search of a duffle bag belonging to Pavao that he stored inside a garage at the Coventry residence where he frequently visited. From inside the duffle bag, law enforcement seized eight long guns, four of which were outfitted with an auto sear machine gun conversion device rendering them machine guns.

Pavao, who pled guilty in February 2025, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy on June 5, 2025, to 30 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.

The matter was investigated by the East Providence Police Department, with valuable assistance provided by the Coventry Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

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