Hyannis Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for Gun Possession

A Hyannis man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of firearms.

Donnell Pina, 52, of Hyannis, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

Pina pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was indicted in November 2022 along with co-defendant Ryan Diefenbach.

The charges stem from a September 2021 incident in which Pina and Diefenbach possessed a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle and sold two firearms to a confidential informant working with federal law enforcement on Cape Cod.

Pina sold the firearms in two separate transactions, making him a prohibited person due to prior felony convictions.

Co-defendant Diefenbach was sentenced to six years in prison in October 2024, also for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott Riordan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, announced the sentencing today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, a federal initiative aimed at reducing gun violence and violent crime.

Project Safe Neighborhoods brings together law enforcement and community leaders to foster trust and legitimacy, support community-based organizations, and set focused enforcement priorities.

The program is part of a broader violent crime reduction strategy launched by the Department of Justice in May 2021.