A Salvadoran national residing illegally in Chelsea has been charged with allegedly selling firearms without a license. Melbi Ovidio Ortez, aged 40, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Ortez was arrested on the morning of June 9, 2025, and following an initial appearance that afternoon, he was ordered detained pending hearings scheduled for July 18, 2025.
According to charging documents, Ortez is associated with the 18th Street Gang and allegedly supplied firearms and controlled substances to gang members. Between April 3 and May 2, 2025, Ortez reportedly sold various firearms and ammunition behind his residence in Chelsea. The sales included a Glock 9mm caliber pistol; a Sturm and Ruger .22 caliber revolver; a Glock .40 caliber pistol; a Colt .380 caliber pistol; magazines; and over one hundred rounds of ammunition. It is alleged that the serial numbers on two of the pistols had been defaced, and one firearm had been purchased from a licensed dealer in New Hampshire just days before being sold by Ortez. Additionally, he allegedly sold suspected cocaine twice during this period.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Upon completion of any sentence imposed, Ortez faces deportation. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Kimberly Milka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division; and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Boston Field Division. Assistance came from multiple local police departments as well as federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III is prosecuting the case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
It is important to note that these charges are allegations and that Ortez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
