Joao Victor Da Silva Soares of Everett was sentenced on Mar. 30 in federal court in Boston to time served, totaling 18 months in prison, for selling more than half a dozen firearms, including AR-15 style rifles.
Da Silva Soares, age 22, will also serve two years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He was arrested in September 2024 as part of a related state case and later charged federally by criminal complaint in January 2025 before being indicted by a grand jury that July.
According to court documents, between August and September 2024 Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale throughout Eastern Massachusetts. On Aug. 26, he delivered two AR-15 style rifles and sold them for $6,000 during an exchange that took place in a parking lot located in Malden. Another transaction occurred on Sept. 11 outside a residence in Milford where Da Silva Soares participated in the sale of five additional firearms including rifles, pistols and a shotgun.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations New England; and David T. Wesling from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston office. The Massachusetts State Police along with the Malden and Milford Police Departments provided valuable assistance during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds from the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted this case.