Springfield Felon Gets 15-Year Sentence for Illegal Firearm

BOSTON – A convicted felon has been handed a 15-year prison sentence in U.S. District Court in Springfield for his illegal possession of a Smith & Wesson handgun and ammunition.

Randy Rivera, 36, of Springfield, faced Judge Michael A. Ponsor’s ruling after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rivera had an extensive criminal history that made him qualify as a federal armed career criminal.

Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rivera’s residence on Jan. 4, 2013. They discovered the Smith & Wesson M&P 9C, 9mm pistol with a loaded high capacity magazine attached to a magnet for easy access. Additionally, they found $132,531 in cash stashed in the bedroom and closet.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in New England; and Michael J. Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Boston Field Division, announced the sentence today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Regan is handling the prosecution out of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.

Rivera will also serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. The case underscores the ongoing efforts by federal authorities to combat gun crime and keep communities safe.

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