Ismael Terrero-Terrero, Firearms Burglary, Pennsylvania 2023

In a shocking case of gun trafficking, a Bethlehem man has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for stealing over 150 guns from licensed firearms dealers in Pennsylvania. Ismael Terrero-Terrero, 22, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage for multiple burglaries in which he stole more than 150 guns from licensed firearms dealers.

According to the authorities, the defendant was charged by indictment in January of 2024, and pleaded guilty this January to three counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. The burglaries took place in Easton, Pennsylvania, on April 28, 2023, in Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, on June 29, 2023, and in Telford, Pennsylvania, on August 11, 2023.

The defendant used a pry bar to make entrance into the buildings and immediately began taking AK-style pistols and AR-style rifles from the wall. He then used the pry bar to break open three glass display cases that contained pistols, placed the guns into a bag, and exited the building with 29 stolen firearms in the first incident.

In the second incident, the defendant and another man forced entry into the building, broke the firearm display cases with a metal tool, took handguns from the display case and put them into a backpack. The men then exited the business and fled the scene with 44 stolen firearms.

In the third incident, the defendant and another man forced entry into the FFL and smashed multiple display cases containing firearms. The men then loaded numerous firearms into a large bag and a rolling suitcase, leaving the store with 82 stolen firearms.

“This defendant committed three separate burglaries, stealing an astonishing 157 firearms,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf. “These guns have now found their way into our communities and are being recovered in shootings and other crimes from Connecticut to the Caribbean. Terrero-Terrero was actively putting guns in criminals’ hands and the repercussions will continue, at society’s expense. Public safety demands that we prevent offenders from getting their hands on guns — and punish those providing a steady stream of illegal weapons.”

The defendant was also ordered to pay $26,798 in restitution. The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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