A Charlotte man who turned lamp bases into gun safes is headed to federal prison for seven years, after authorities say he tried to move dozens of handguns and high-capacity magazines to Honduras and Mexico. Prosecutors say his case is part of a broader federal push to stop straw purchases and the illegal export of U.S.-bought firearms.
According to Queen City News, U.S. District Court sentenced Walter Adonai Rivera Chinchilla to seven years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. The outlet reports he is still in U.S. Marshals Service custody while he waits to be transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility, and that he pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal firearms-trafficking charges.
Court records summarized by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of North Carolina say Chinchilla bought specific handguns from licensed dealers in Caldwell and Catawba counties, including a Beretta 92FS from Guns Too and a Glock 45 from Foothills Jewelry & Loan. Prosecutors say he falsely claimed on federal forms that he was the actual buyer. A superseding indictment charged Chinchilla and co-defendant Fausto Odalis Reyes Guevara with conspiracy to provide false statements during firearm purchases and related firearms offenses as part of Operation Take Back America.
Local reporting and court filings show Chinchilla met with an undercover agent at a Mooresville pawn shop in October 2024 and agreed to purchase firearms for the operative. Customs agents later intercepted a shipment in which six Glock handguns were hidden inside decorative lamp bases, along with 17-round magazines headed for Honduras. WSOC-TV reviewed the court documents that describe those undercover meetings and the seized shipment.
Prosecutors Say Pipeline Fueled Violence Abroad
Federal prosecutors argue that trafficking operations like this one feed cartel and gang violence outside the United States, and say shutting down those pipelines has become a national enforcement priority. "So, when those guns end up in the hands of other countries, we do not know where they are going," an acting U.S. attorney told WSOC-TV, adding that cutting off the flow of trafficked weapons is central to Operation Take Back America.
Charges and What Comes Next
Federal court filings list charges including trafficking in firearms, making false statements during firearm purchases, and dealing in firearms without a license, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Queen City News reports that Chinchilla will stay in U.S. Marshals custody until he is assigned to a Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence.
