WORCESTER – A 24-year-old Worcester man plead guilty on Monday in federal court in Worcester to lying to firearm dealers and possession of a stolen firearm.
Ruben Ramos plead guilty to two counts of making false statements during the purchase of a firearm, five counts of making false statements in records required to be maintained by a federal firearm dealer, and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.
His sentencing has been scheduled for July 15, 2019.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, in Dec. 2016, the Worcester Police Dept. issued Ramos, an employee of the U.S. Postal Service and member of the Army National Guard, a license to possess firearms.
Between May 2017 and May 2018, Ramos purchased at least 16 firearms — 14 pistols and two rifles. From March 2018 to May 2018, Ramos provided a false address at least five different times to dealers from firearm dealers.
In June 2018, Ramos told federal investigators that he only had six of the 16 guns that he purchased, admitted that he lied to firearm dealers on two occasions in May 2018 [Ramos claimed that he was buying the guns for himself, but was actually buying them for someone else], and admitted he had stolen a Beretta 9mm pistol from weapons vault at the Army National Guard facility on Plantation St. in Worcester.
The charges of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm each provide for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of making a false statement in records required to be maintained by a federally licensed firearm dealer provide for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors
