Elwood Cortes-Navedo, Trafficking Firearms, Massachusetts 2022

BOSTON – A reckless firearms sale has led to serious consequences for a Lowell man. Elwood Cortes-Navedo, 26, pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, a federal offense.

The defendant’s guilty plea stems from two separate incidents in February 2019. On February 6, 2019, Cortes-Navedo sold a Taurus, PT-22, .22LR pistol manufactured outside of Massachusetts to cooperating witnesses in the parking lot of a public swimming pool in Lowell. This was not his only offense, as he also sold a Springfield Armory, XD-9 subcompact, 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number and 12 rounds of ammunition to cooperating witnesses on February 14, 2019, in his residence parking lot.

Cortes-Navedo was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint in April 2019. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2022.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, and the Massachusetts State Police, with special assistance from the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office and the Chelsea, Lowell, Malden, Marlborough, Somerville, and Weymouth Police Departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Timothy Moran of U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.

Elwood Cortes-Navedo’s actions have led to severe consequences. The defendant’s sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2022. The investigation highlights the importance of upholding firearms laws and preventing illegal trafficking.

In this case, the defendant’s guilty plea serves as a reminder of the gravity of these crimes and the penalties that come with them. The Lowell man’s sentencing will be closely watched as a result of his actions.

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