A Worcester, Massachusetts man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Joan Rosado Maldonado, 43, received his sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman, which will be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Rosado Maldonado, with a criminal record including armed assault to murder and cocaine trafficking, was not lawfully allowed to carry a firearm. The incident leading to his arrest occurred on Sept. 10, 2021, when law enforcement on Main Street in Worcester heard a gunshot and found Rosado Maldonado with a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol with the serial number removed, the statement from U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy detailed. Alongside Levy, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives James M. Ferguson, and Interim Chief of Worcester Police Department Paul B. Saucier were credited for the announcement.
On the night of his arrest, officers initially spotted Rosado Maldonado standing outside a high-rise across from the federal courthouse. After the shooting noise, he attempted to enter the building but was apprehended while attempting to use the elevator. A search revealed the loaded weapon, complete with 14 rounds of ammunition and one in the chamber.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto, Chief of the Worcester Branch Office, led the prosecution of this case. The spent casing from the firearm was discovered on the street, providing physical evidence of the discharge. Rosado Maldonado had pleaded guilty to the one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in March. The forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition was also ordered by Judge Guzman as part of the sentencing.
