Alason Ferreira-Peixoto, 23, Sentenced for Selling Firearms Without a License in Massachusetts

BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, Alason Ferreira-Peixoto, a 23-year-old Brazilian national, has been sentenced for selling 12 firearms and large capacity magazines without a license in Massachusetts. The defendant, who was unlawfully living in Fall River and on Cape Cod, was handed down a 35-month prison sentence by U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, to be followed by two years of supervised release.

Ferreira-Peixoto’s crimes began in June 2024, when he started selling 12 firearms to cooperating witnesses without the required license, in exchange for cash. The defendant conspired with others to obtain the firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts, further exacerbating the situation.

As the investigation unfolded, it was revealed that Ferreira-Peixoto not only sold firearms but also ammunition and magazines, some of which were large capacity magazines. This brazen display of disregard for the law has left authorities reeling.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, along with Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement.

The investigation received valuable assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and the Barnstable and Fall River Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.

Ferreira-Peixoto’s sentence marks a significant blow to the firearms trafficking ring, and authorities are breathing a sigh of relief. However, the question remains: how many more Ferreira-Peixotos are out there, selling firearms without a license and putting lives at risk?

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