A Lowell man is facing up to fifteen years behind bars after pleading guilty to charges of gun trafficking in Boston federal court. Isael Rodriguez, 29, admitted to dealing firearms without a license and making false statements to acquire firearms from a licensed dealer, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022, Rodriguez deceived a licensed dealer into believing that the firearms he purchased were for his use and instead sold them for profit in the Boston area. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton has set April 23 for sentencing, as stated in a release from the Department of Justice.
The defendant could face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for dealing firearms without a license. An additional ten years in prison and the same hefty fine could be imposed for the charge of making false statements to acquire firearms. According to the announcement made by a cohort of high-ranking law enforcement officials, including First Assistant United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division, James Ferguson, these sentences are subject to the discretion of the federal district court judge based on guideline advisories and statutory factors.
This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's linchpin in its crusade against violent crime. PSN collaborates with a spectrum of stakeholders, including law enforcement and local prevention and reentry programs, to devise and enact solutions targeting violent crime in communities. The Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is the prosecutor over the case.
