Jacob Linhares, Dealing Firearms, Massachusetts 2021

Barnstable Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offenses

A Barnstable man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston in connection with selling four ghost guns to an undercover agent.

Jacob Linhares, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing in firearms without a license and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The crime occurred between May 25, 2020 and June 15, 2020, when Linhares sold four Privately Made Firearms (PMFs) he had personally fabricated to an undercover agent.

PMFs are not made by firearm manufacturers. Rather, they are made from firearm parts purchased from firearm manufacturers and assembled by the buyer using various drilling tools and machinery to construct a functional firearm.

PMFs do not have serial numbers and are commonly known as ghost guns because they are not serialized, and are thus, untraceable to a purchaser or owner. On the fourth sale, Linhares agreed to take a commercially manufactured firearm as part of the payment.

Due to prior felony convictions, Linhares is prohibited from possessing firearms.

The charge of dealing firearms without a federal license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Sentencing is set for April 12, 2022.

This prosecution 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

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