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Providence Man Sentenced for Selling Silencer Equipped Machine Gun
A Providence man has been sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for possessing and selling an unregistered machine gun equipped with a silencer and for selling 240 grams of fentanyl laced heroin to an undercover federal law enforcement agent.
Edward Trinidad, 30, pleaded guilty in February to one count each of possession of an unregistered machine gun, possession of an unregistered silencer, and transfer of a machine gun; two counts of distribution of heroin and fentanyl; and one count of distribution of 100 grams or more of heroin.
Trinidad’s sentence was announced by United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Mickey Leadingham, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of ATF; and Providence Police Chief Colonel Hugh T. Clements, Jr.
At sentencing, U.S. District Court Chief Judge William E. Smith also ordered Trinidad to serve 4 years supervised release upon completion of his term of incarceration.
The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of imprisonment in this matter is 60-63 months. The government recommended the court impose a sentence of 60 months in prison.
Trinidad admitted to selling an undercover ATF agent an unregistered machine gun equipped with a silencer on June 3, 2016. He also admitted to selling the agent 29.61 grams of fentanyl laced heroin on June 24, 2016, 109.42 grams of fentanyl laced heroin on November 9, 2016, and 101.15 grams of a material containing fentanyl on March 31, 2017.
The investigation, which began in spring 2016, was a joint effort between the ATF, the Rhode Island ATF Task Force and the Providence Police Department. The task force launched a joint Safe Streets Neighborhoods investigation to analyze shell casings retrieved from crime scenes in and around the Chad Brown neighborhood and elsewhere, utilizing ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBN).
NIBN identifies marks left on shell casings unique to a particular firearm. NIBN then assists in linking crime scenes to a firearm. The investigation resulted in the seizure of a machine gun equipped with a silencer, a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber revolver; a .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, various types and quantities of ammunition, substantial quantities of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine, and approximately $21,000 in suspected drug proceeds.
Key Facts
- State: Rhode Island
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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