NEW YORK, N.Y. — A Dominican national who entered the United States illegally last year has been convicted of trafficking firearms and narcotics between North Carolina and New York City, federal prosecutors announced Friday.
Bianneury Pena, 35, also known as “Charly,” was found guilty after a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote. He was convicted on three counts: gun trafficking conspiracy, unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. He faces up to 50 years in prison when sentenced on October 17.
“Within weeks of entering the United States unlawfully, Pena immersed himself in a gun and drug trafficking scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Pena and his crew smuggled guns and cocaine up and down the East Coast without regard for the danger they were bringing to New Yorkers.”
Pena was arrested alongside co-defendant Abel Rosario on June 7, 2024, after arriving in Manhattan by bus from North Carolina. Authorities seized two firearms from the pair — an Aero Precision M4E1 rifle and a Glock .40 caliber handgun — along with multiple rounds of ammunition, a standard magazine, two high-capacity magazines, and a drum magazine.
According to court filings, Pena entered the U.S. unlawfully in April 2024 and quickly joined Rosario, who had already been deported but reentered the country illegally. Over a span of two months, Pena made three round trips to North Carolina, transporting cocaine south and smuggling firearms back to New York.
The conviction includes:
- Gun trafficking conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 933): Up to 15 years
- Alien in possession of a firearm (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(5)): Up to 15 years
- Drug trafficking conspiracy (21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(b)(1)(C)): Up to 20 years
The investigation was led by the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security, NYPD, Port Authority Police, and the New York State Police.