A Brazilian national residing unlawfully in Marlborough has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on charges related to firearms trafficking. Guilherme Fernandes-Tavares, aged 31, faces one count of dealing firearms without a license and is scheduled for arraignment in federal court on July 30, 2025. Previously, he was charged by criminal complaint on March 7, 2025.
According to the charging documents, between December 2023 and May 2024, Fernandes-Tavares allegedly sold eleven firearms and ammunition over ten different dates and offered additional firearms for sale. Some of these firearms were reportedly privately manufactured without serial numbers or had obliterated serial numbers. One firearm was sold with a large capacity magazine capable of holding 28 rounds of ammunition. Furthermore, an intercepted package from Florida intended for Fernandes-Tavares allegedly contained another firearm.
The charge against him carries potential penalties including up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge according to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations; and Patricia H. Hyde from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston. Assistance came from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and Westborough Police Department with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds prosecuting the case.
The allegations are yet to be proven in court where the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
