Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that ANGEL REYES-RODRIGUEZ, 29, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to unlawful possession and transfer of machineguns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2019, Reyes-Rodriguez communicated with an individual over Instagram about a photo of a Glock pistol that Reyes-Rodriguez had posted. Reyes-Rodriguez asked the individual if he had a Glock, and said that he had a friend with a “chip” to make the gun shoot automatically. At the direction of law enforcement, the individual arranged to purchase two Glock conversion devices from Reyes-Rodriguez. On May 9, 2019, Reyes-Rodriguez met the individual at a store parking lot in New Haven and transferred two conversion devices in exchange for $500.
Under federal law, a conversion device that changes a gun into an automatic weapon is considered a machinegun.
Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for November 23, 2021, at which time Reyes-Rodriguez faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Reyes-Rodriguez is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
This is Reyes-Rodriguez’s second federal conviction. In 2016, he was sentenced to probation for delivering a package containing two kilograms of cocaine to a co-conspirator.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Our nation-wide commitment to reducing gun crime in America.
Making sure that victims of federal crimes are treated with compassion, fairness and respect.