A Framingham man, Edwin Alago, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession linked to drug trafficking, officials said Wednesday.

Alago, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, following his December 2023 guilty plea to one count of firearm possession in furtherance of drug trafficking, according to a Department of Justice release. In addition to his prison term, he will also face three years of supervised release upon completion.

The 43-year-old was discovered by police in May 2021, passed out in a car with a running engine outside a business in Framingham. Officers found Alago with Xanax, gabapentin, and cocaine and upon searching the vehicle, retrieved a SCCY .9mm CPX-2 semi-automatic pistol with Alago's fingerprints, which had a defaced serial number and was loaded with ammunition.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, as well as James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Boston Field Division, announced Alago's sentencing with the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Framingham Police Department also providing critical assistance. The case fell under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a national initiative aimed at reducing violent crime. Alago also pleaded guilty in October 2023 to possession of Class E and B substances and assault on a police officer, for which he received a concurrent 30-day sentence.

It's one part of a larger strategy initiated on May 26, 2021, by the Department to curb violent crimes by fostering community trust, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting enforcement priorities and tracking results towards creating safer neighborhoods.