Massachusetts Man Sentenced On Firearm Charge

          CONCORD, N.H. – Jason Martinez, 20, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to 48 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to make a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith.  Upon his release, Martinez will be placed on three years of supervised release which is monitored by the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

          Beginning in August 2014, agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Boston were involved in an investigation of the illegal purchase and sale of firearms.  During the investigation, ATF agents utilized an informant (CI-1) to purchase firearms from Martinez.

          Martinez and others solicited a co-conspirator to purchase firearms because the co-conspirator possessed a New Hampshire identification and could provide that identification to the federal firearms licensee making the sale.  Using money provided by Martinez, the co-conspirator purchased, on four separate occasions between October 31, 2014 through November 8, 2014, nine firearms for Martinez and others.  On November 26, 2014, the co-conspirator attempted to purchase, with money provided by Martinez, three additional firearms but was denied because ATF was alerted to the purchase.  During each of the firearm purchases, the co-conspirator falsely claimed that he was the actual purchaser of the firearms when in reality he was purchasing the firearms for Martinez and others. 

          “This case is a classic example of the results that can be obtained when good investigative work is coupled with aggressive prosecution,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith.  “By refusing to be satisfied with investigating only the purchaser of these firearms, the ATFE was able to identify and arrest the defendant, who was the money man selling on the street the guns he illegally obtained.  Our office is committed to pursuing these “lie and buy” cases to identify and prosecute those who would trade in the illegal transfer of firearms.”

          The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra M. Walsh.