Springfield Man Mark Alexander, 26, Pleads Guilty to Felon Firearm Possession

A Springfield man is facing federal prison after admitting he carried a loaded .22 caliber pistol despite being a convicted felon. Mark Alexander, 26, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Springfield to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person—a charge that exposes him to up to a decade behind bars.

The gun was in Alexander’s possession on September 2, 2015, when he and co-defendant Hector Nieves orchestrated the sale of the weapon and accompanying ammunition to a cooperating witness. The transaction, arranged through undercover law enforcement channels, quickly unraveled into a federal case that has already landed one man behind bars. Nieves, who worked with Alexander to broker the deal, was sentenced in July 2016 to five years in federal prison.

Because of a prior felony conviction, Alexander was legally barred from possessing any firearm or ammunition—a restriction federal prosecutors hammered home during Tuesday’s hearing. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman, who presided over the plea, set sentencing for March 16, 2017, leaving Alexander to await his fate under federal supervision.

The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. While federal judges typically impose sentences below the statutory maximum based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors, prosecutors made clear they intend to push for a substantial term. Alexander’s cooperation—or lack thereof—could heavily influence the final outcome.

Federal authorities credited a joint investigation by the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with cracking the case. The sting operation that led to Alexander’s arrest highlighted ongoing efforts to disrupt illegal gun trafficking in one of Massachusetts’ most violence-prone cities.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant of the Springfield Branch Office. United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division; and Mickey D. Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of ATF Boston, jointly announced the guilty plea. With sentencing just weeks away, all eyes are on Springfield’s federal courthouse—and on Mark Alexander’s next move.