Luis Fernando de Souza, Selling Firearms without a License and Making False Statements, Massachusetts 2023

BOSTON – A Brazilian national was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for selling 11 firearms, including one equipped with a large capacity magazine and another with an obliterated serial number.

Luis Fernando de Souza, 43, of Brazil, was sentenced to 4 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV for violating federal laws related to firearms sales.

“This defendant’s actions put the public at risk by selling high-capacity firearms and ones with altered serial numbers,” said U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and our commitment to keeping our communities safe.”

De Souza was charged in a federal indictment on June 14, 2023, with one count of selling firearms without a license and one count of making false statements to a firearms dealer. He pleaded guilty to both counts on October 18, 2023.

De Souza sold the 11 firearms to a confidential informant between December 2020 and May 2022. The firearms included a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22, a Glock 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, and a Ruger 10/22 rifle equipped with a large capacity magazine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian P. Stearns prosecuted the case.

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