PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Pawtucket man convicted in Rhode Island state court in 2007 and in 2009 on drug trafficking charges, and found during a traffic stop by Pawtucket Police in October 2020 to be in possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Richard B. Myrus.
Jonathan Reyes, 35, was stopped by Pawtucket Police on October 14, 2020, when he was observed not wearing a seatbelt and driving a car with out-of-state license plates that were registered to a different vehicle. Reyes claimed to police that he had just purchased the vehicle. He provided them with a Bill of Sale that did not contain a VIN, date of sale/purchase, or signatures of the buyer/seller.
According to court documents, after Reyes and a front seat passenger were asked to exit the vehicle, officers discovered a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number inside a black satchel/fanny pack. As Reyes was being placed under arrest, he briefly attempted to flee police but was quickly apprehended.
Reyes pleaded guilty on June 1, 2021, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Reyes was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 60 months of incarceration in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William J. Ferland and Ly T. Chin.
The matter was investigated by the Pawtucket Police Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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