NORFOLK, Va. – A former U.S. Navy sailor was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison for trafficking at least 60 firearms, including several firearms that ended up in the hands of prohibited persons.
“Pino used his military discount to illegally traffick at least 60 firearms,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case is a prime example of our conscious effort to aggressively pursue this criminal conduct which puts illegally straw purchased firearms into the hands of prohibited persons. Together with our law enforcement partners we remain committed to our mission of public safety and will continue to aggressively pursue those who choose to endanger the safety of the communities we serve.”
According to court documents, Julio Fernando Pino, 26, used his military discount to purchase and resell firearms at a profit without a federal license to do so. From November 2015 to January 2017, Pino purchased at least 60 firearms and resold at least 23 firearms at a profit, despite being told by ATF agents multiple times to stop selling these firearms. Several of the firearms fell into the hands of prohibited persons, such as felon gang members and juveniles, and were later linked to violent crimes.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
