PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A South Kingstown, R.I., man faces up to twenty–five years in federal prison followed by up to nine years of supervised release after pleading guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Providence to trafficking firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Peter F. Neronha. Stanley Bates, 32, pleaded guilty as charged by way of an Indictment to selling a pair of firearms and ammunition in Rhode Island to a known convicted felon, and to selling a firearm to a person he believed was from Massachusetts and who told him he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
According to federal court records and information presented to the Court, a joint investigation by South Kingstown Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) resulted in electronically recorded undercover sales of a 9mm Beretta pistol for $500 in August 2009 and a .38 caliber revolver for $350 in October 2009 by Bates to a person previously convicted of a felony. In addition, Bates sold a Highpoint .380 pistol for $320 and two cartons of cigarettes to an undercover ATF agent Bates believed was a person from Massachusetts.
In July 2010, when questioned by South Kingstown Police about the firearms sales, Bates admitted to his past conduct and surrendered an additional firearm to police, a .45 caliber pistol.
On March 30, 2011, a federal grand jury returned a three count indictment charging Bates with two counts of selling a firearm to a known felon and one count of selling a firearm to a person from another state. Bates was arrested and arraigned in U.S. District Court on April 26, 2011, and released on $25,000 unsecured bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., on December 2, 2011.
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