ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax County man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, throughout 2020, Babak Safavi, 59, used false names and the internet to acquire and assemble an armory of assault weapons, including at least one with no serial number, while being a convicted felon. Safavi acquired firearms, ammunition, silencers that could be affixed to firearms, suppressor tubes and adapters to manufacture his own firearms suppressors, AR-15 accessories, gun-building kits and other firearm components.
On March 15, during a court-authorized search at Safavi’s residence, law enforcement recovered an AM-15 rifle; an AR style rifle with no serial number; a Stag Arms Stag 15 rifle; a Smith and Wesson M&P 9 Pro; over 2000 rounds of ammunition; 3 silencers; and other firearm components. All four firearms had threaded barrels, meaning they were able to receive a silencer, and the handgun had an illegal silencer attached. The magazines for the weapons were loaded.
Safavi is scheduled to be sentenced on September 1. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Raymond Villanueva, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia T. Giles accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Walutes is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-76.