Pawtucket Resident Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Firearm with Obliterated Serial Number

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Justice Reyes, 20, of Pawtucket, was sentenced today to time served, 14 months in federal prison, for possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, announced Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch and Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

At the time of his guilty plea, Reyes admitted to the court that on April 1, 2016, he sold the firearm to an undercover ATF agent while outside of his residence. Reyes was serving a Rhode Island state court imposed sentence of home confinement at the time he sold the firearm to the agent.

At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Reyes to serve 3 years supervised release upon completion of his term of imprisonment. Reyes pleaded guilty on February 21, 2017.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines imprisonment range in this matter is 33–41 months. The government recommended the court impose a term of incarceration of 33 months.

According to information presented to the court, on April 1, 2016, an undercover ATF agent bought a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle from Reyes for $350.  Reyes specified that the serial number had been obliterated, and that he could get the undercover and the undercover’s associates additional guns with obliterated serial numbers. 

According to Rhode Island state court records, Reyes was sentenced on March 17, 2016, to one year home confinement for violating a suspended sentence imposed on January 29, 2016, having pleaded nolo contendre to a charge of simple assault domestic. Reyes began serving his home confinement sentence two weeks prior to selling the firearm to the ATF agent.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.

The matter was investigated by ATF and the Rhode Island AFT Task Force. Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch thanks the Pawtucket Police Department for their assistance in the investigation of this matter.

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