Tyrone James, Weapons Conspiracy, Massachusetts 2016

BOSTON, Massachusetts – A Boston man has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in the sale of machine guns and handguns stolen from a U.S. Army Reserve Center in Worcester.

Tyrone James, 29, of Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman on January 2016 in connection with the sale of six M-4 Carbines and ten M-11 semi-automatic handguns.

According to court documents, co-defendant James Morales allegedly broke into the Lincoln Stoddard United States Army Reserve Center in Worcester on the night of November 14, 2015, and stole the firearms. Morales then visited James and co-defendant Ashley Bigsbee at their home in Dorchester and proposed that they assist him with selling the stolen weapons.

James and Bigsbee then contacted numerous individuals via text message offering to sell the firearms for well below the market and street value. James’s phones were later found to contain text messages evidencing these efforts along with photographs which depicted the stolen weapons.

Through their efforts, James arranged for Morales to sell a number of the handguns, and conducted the sales in their apartment on November 15, 2015. In exchange for their assistance with selling the stolen weapons, Morales gave James and one of the M-4 Carbines.

During an interview on November 20, 2015, James repeatedly lied to federal agents concerning his knowledge of the sale of the firearms. He was also found to be a felon in possession of firearms, having been previously convicted of three counts of armed robbery and one count of armed assault in a dwelling.

James pleaded guilty to all charges in December 2016, including conspiracy to possess, store and sell stolen firearms; possession and sale of stolen firearms; lying to federal agents; and being a felon in possession of firearms.

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