Press Release: 2/27/2026

Brazilian National Unlawfully in the United States Sentenced for Selling 14 Firearms Without a License

 



Thursday, February 26, 2026 



For Immediate Release



 



Defendant sold AR-15 style rifles and large capacity magazines



BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Worcester has been sentenced to prison for selling firearms without a license.  



Joao Vitor Dos Santos Goncalves Pimenta, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 27 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In August 2025, Goncalves Pimenta pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.



Between July and September 2024, Goncalves Pimenta sold 14 firearms without the required license in exchange for cash. The firearms included pistols and AR-15-style rifles and large capacity magazines.  



Picture 1: AR-15-style rifles and large capacity magazines



Picture 2: AR-15-style rifle and large capacity magazines



United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, 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, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.