Denver Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Possessing Firearms Stolen from Colorado Gun Store

DENVER – Eric Michael Perez, age 20, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced late last week by U.S. District Court Judge Philip A. Brimmer to serve 70 months (nearly 6 years) in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Bob Troyer and ATF Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston announced. Following his prison sentence, Judge Brimmer ordered the defendant to serve 3 years on supervised release. The defendant, who appeared at the sentencing hearing in custody, was remanded at the conclusion.

Defendant Perez was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 27, 2016. He pled guilty to the charge in the indictment on November 23, 2016. He was sentenced by Judge Brimmer on February 23, 2017.

According to court documents, including the stipulated facts contained in the defendant’s plea agreement, on June 21, 2016, 35 guns were stolen from Colorado Gun Broker in Jefferson County during an after-hours burglary. While processing the scene, investigators discovered fresh blood on the price tag of a shotgun used to break glass display cases containing the stolen weapons. The blood sample and DNA profile were analyzed and matched the defendant.

On June 29, 2016, ATF agents and Aurora Police Department Officers, through investigative leads and databases, located the defendant a residence in Aurora, Colorado. He was taken into custody on outstanding state and federal warrants. Law enforcement received consent to search the residence and recovered two firearms in the defendant’s bedroom that were stolen in the Colorado Gun Broker burglary.

“Investigating the gun store burglaries and recovering the stolen firearms is a top priority for ATF in Denver,” said ATF Denver Field Division Special Agent in Charge Debora Livingston. “ATF is collaborating closely with all the affected police departments and neighboring jurisdictions to pool our intelligence and investigative resources. This is our first success, and it will not be the last.”

Perez was prohibited from possessing firearms after having been convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year in prison. He was also serving a 15-month consecutive sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections for a probation violation related to an auto theft conviction out of Jefferson County.

The case was investigated by ATF, Aurora Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

The defendant was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Friedman.