A Brazilian national living in Marlborough without legal status pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges related to firearms trafficking.
Guilherme Fernandes-Tavares, 32, admitted to one count of dealing firearms without a license. Sentencing is set for February 26, 2026, before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris. Fernandes-Tavares was initially charged by criminal complaint in March 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.
According to authorities, between December 2023 and May 2024, Fernandes-Tavares sold a total of 11 firearms and ammunition over the course of ten separate transactions and offered additional weapons for sale. The firearms included pistols—some privately manufactured without serial numbers—and one pistol with an obliterated serial number. One firearm was sold with a large capacity magazine capable of holding 28 rounds of ammunition. Law enforcement also intercepted a package sent from Florida intended for Fernandes-Tavares that contained another firearm.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and up to $250,000 in fines. Sentences are determined by federal judges based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley stated: “United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today.” She added that valuable assistance came from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; and the Westborough Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III from the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
