William Mejia, Conspiracy to Steal Firearms, New Hampshire 2023

A brazen crime spree that put the lives of countless New Hampshirites at risk has come to an end. William Mejia, a 20-year-old man from Lawrence, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 2 years of supervised release for conspiring to steal firearms from three different New Hampshire gun stores.

According to court documents, Mejia and his co-defendants, Johariel Quezada and Ethan Ayala, were indicted on June 13, 2022, for their roles in the conspiracy. Mejia pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee on March 29, 2023.

The investigation revealed that between August 29, 2021, and October 4, 2021, Mejia conspired with others to steal firearms from three New Hampshire Federal Firearms Licensees. The stolen firearms were recovered from a co-defendant’s residence, including one with Mejia’s fingerprints on it.

U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young praised the efforts of law enforcement in bringing Mejia to justice. “The defendant and his confederates traveled to New Hampshire multiple times for one purpose – to steal 43 firearms. Such brazen behavior poses risks to our communities and will simply not be tolerated,” she said.

Mejia’s codefendant, Johariel Quezada, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release on May 12, 2023. Ethan Ayala is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2024.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation, working closely with local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case.

As part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime and gun violence in New Hampshire. This case is a testament to the effectiveness of this program in bringing perpetrators to justice and keeping our communities safe.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nh/pr/lawrence-man-sentenced-conspiracy-steal-firearms-new-hampshire-gun-stores