Defendant Sentenced to 101 Months for Smuggling Firearms to Colombia
HOUSTON – Patrick Regan, 41, of Houston, has been ordered to federal prison for smuggling more than 300 firearms to Colombia, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson today.
Regan pleaded guilty January 24, 2012, to conspiracy to make and making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee, dealing in firearms without a license, possession of firearms with obliterated serial numbers and possession of an unregistered firearm.
At the hearing today, additional evidence was presented including the fact that the guns were being supplied to organizations in Colombia that take over and control areas of the country by killing law-abiding citizens and legitimate police officers. After hearing arguments from both the government and the defense, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison sentenced Regan to a total of 60 months on each of the first four charges to run concurrently. He was further sentenced to 41 months for the possession of an unregistered firearm which will be served consecutively for a total sentence of 101 months in federal prison.
Following completion of his sentence, Regan will have to also serve two years of supervised release during which he cannot commit any further crimes and cannot possess a firearm. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ellison noted this was one of the most serious crimes encountered by the district courts and that courts will deal with this type of conduct severely. He further stated he is concerned about the harm done to people as a result of this activity.
An investigation into the illegal export by Regan of firearms to Colombia was initiated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in October 2010. During the course of the investigation, ATF and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly, learned Regan had acquired an unusually large number of firearms and related equipment beginning in or about October 2009 and had been receiving substantial sums of money via wire transfer from banks in Colombia.
Agents intercepted 27 firearms in Houston bound for Colombia. Regan admitted to shipping hundreds of firearms to Colombia and, according to evidence at the hearing today, more than $100,000 was wired to Regan from Colombia during the course of the conspiracy. On December 8, 2010, agents witnessed Regan ship numerous boxes addressed to recipients in Colombia. An examination of those boxes and their shipping labels resulted in a determination that the name of the addressee was fictitious, the shipping address was an abandoned residence in Colombia, the shipper’s name and address were fictitious and the description of the content of the packages identified as machine castings or pressure washers was also false.
The boxes actually contained 16 firearms, including eight Fabrique-Nationale Herstal, model Five-seven, 5.7 x 28mm caliber pistols and eight Double Star, model STAR-15, 5.56mm caliber complete lower receivers. The lower receivers are components of AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles which are similar in appearance to the U.S. military’s M-4 rifle. Each firearm had its serial number obliterated. Agents intercepted two subsequent firearms shipments made by Regan to Colombian addresses. A shipment intercepted on December 15, 2010, included eight firearms. The following day, three Rock River Arms, model LAR-15, 5.56mm caliber lower receivers, were also recovered.
ATF and HSI agents executed a number of search warrants including one at Regan’s Houston area residence which resulted in the discovery and seizure of 55 additional lower and upper receivers for AR-15 style semi-automatic rifles, an unregistered fully assembled short-barrel AR.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Weapons|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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