BOSTON – Joshua Marrero, 28, of Holyoke, Mass., pleaded guilty today to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and to possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 22, 2016.
At his plea hearing, Marrero admitted that on April 19, 2014, he possessed a Lorcin Model L 380 .380 caliber firearm with an obliterated serial number and seven rounds of .380 caliber ammunition. After being spotted with the firearm by law enforcement officers, Marrero ran into an alley in South Holyoke and was caught after he tripped.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Holyoke Police Chief James M. Neiswanger, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.