Roberto Prieto, Firearms Trafficking, Illinois 2022

CHICAGO, IL – A Chicago man is headed to federal prison for a decade after admitting to running a small-time firearms trafficking operation, according to court records unsealed this week. ROBERTO PRIETO, 34, was sentenced on November 8, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber to 120 months behind bars.

Prieto’s scheme involved advertising firearms via text message. Between June 2020 and July 2021, he offered guns for sale to a confidential informant at least five times, completing three successful transactions. The ATF began investigating after receiving tips about Prieto’s illegal activity, focusing on his willingness to sell to individuals without background checks – a major source of guns used in street violence.

A grand jury in Chicago indicted Prieto in April 2022, charging him with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Despite the clear evidence, Prieto ultimately pleaded guilty to all three counts in June 2022, effectively ending any chance of a trial. The quick plea suggests a deal was likely struck with prosecutors to avoid a potentially longer sentence.

U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr., announced the sentence, highlighting the case as a win for the Department of Justice’s Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force. The Strike Force, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the ATF, aims to disrupt the flow of illegal guns into the city and track down those responsible for arming criminals. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco.

This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program designed to reduce violent crime through federal prosecution. Lausch has made tackling gun violence a priority in the Northern District of Illinois, and officials say they’ll continue to aggressively pursue those who profit from the illegal gun trade. The ATF’s Chicago Field Division, led by Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, conducted the investigation.

While ten years is a significant sentence, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the damage caused by illegal firearms on Chicago’s streets. Sources within the ATF suggest Prieto was a small player, but his conviction sends a message: trafficking in illegal firearms carries serious consequences. The question remains whether these sentences are enough to truly stem the tide of gun violence plaguing the city.

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