A Brazilian national residing unlawfully in Massachusetts has been sentenced for selling firearms without a license. Lucas Henrique Moreira DePaiva, 22, received an 18-month prison sentence followed by two years of supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin on July 22, 2024. After serving his sentence, he faces deportation.
In April 2025, Moreira DePaiva pleaded guilty to conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Between February and September 2024, he sold 15 firearms over ten transactions for cash and also dealt ammunition and magazines. In February 2024, he conspired with another individual to sell one of these firearms.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 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 for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston. The Massachusetts State Police along with Weymouth and Malden Police Departments provided assistance during the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds prosecuted the case.
