Jaythean Diaz, Firearms Conspiracy, New Hampshire 2023

CONCORD, NH – A brazen plot to steal firearms from a Derry gun shop landed a Massachusetts man a two-year federal prison sentence. Jaythean Diaz, 20, of Methuen, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante, along with a two-year stretch of supervised release and a $5,100 restitution order. Diaz pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to steal firearms from Second Amendment Outdoors in Derry, New Hampshire.

The break-in, which occurred on December 8, 2021, saw Diaz and his crew pilfer 12 firearms – eleven pistols and a single rifle. Federal investigators recovered video footage from a co-conspirator’s phone clearly showing Diaz in possession of the stolen weapons. Digital searches also uncovered messages detailing Diaz’s attempts to offload at least one of the stolen firearms onto the streets.

U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young didn’t mince words about the severity of the crime. “It is criminals, like the defendant and his co-conspirators, that put illegal guns on our streets and often into the hands of dangerous people,” she stated. “Their crime also has a direct financial impact on legitimate firearm commerce and our federal firearms licensees, like the victim in this case, Second Amendment Outdoors in Derry.”

Gary Ortiz, another member of the conspiracy, has already pleaded guilty to similar charges and is slated to be sentenced on September 22, 2023. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) took the lead on the investigation, bolstered by support from a wide range of local police departments including Lawrence, Methuen, Massachusetts State Police, and multiple New Hampshire agencies.

“Diaz and his co-conspirators targeted a local gun dealer in order to steal and resell guns on the street,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division. “This sentence is proof of ATF’s relentless resolve to bring to justice anyone who would victimize members of our community and put illegal guns into circulation.” The case is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods,” a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy is prosecuting the case. This conviction serves as a stark warning: those who attempt to profit from the illegal gun trade in New Hampshire will face the full force of federal law. The ATF and its partners are committed to disrupting these criminal enterprises and keeping dangerous weapons off the streets.

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