Boston Man Indicted for Firearm Possession

BOSTON – A Boston man was charged in federal court in Boston with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Christian Teixeira, 33, was indicted today on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

According to charging documents, on May 2, 2019, while in Fall River, Teixeira was found in possession of a KAHR PM9, 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Teixeira has a prior felony conviction that prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.

The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn; Colonel Kerry A. Gilpin, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Fall River Police Chief Albert Dupere made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Soivilien of Lelling’s Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.