CONCORD - Juan Diaz, 40, of Manchester, was sentenced to a total of 87 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating supervised release, Acting United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in July of 2020, while conducting another investigation, Ashland police learned that Diaz had been in recent possession of several firearms. Officers learned that while spending time with an Ashland family, Diaz had handled and shot two firearms on the family’s property on June 27, 2020. Law enforcement officers also obtained photographs of Diaz shooting the firearms.
Diaz has numerous prior felony convictions that prohibit him from possessing firearms. Most recently, he had served a 10-year sentence in federal prison for possession of child pornography. He began his term of federal supervised release in May of 2020.
Diaz, who previously pleaded guilty on June 23, 2021, was sentenced to serve 63 months in prison for the firearms conviction and an additional 24 months for violating his supervised release.
“A vital part of our effort to reduce violent crime is keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals," said Acting U.S. Attorney Farley. “As this case demonstrates, we will not hesitate to pursue federal charges against convicted criminals who possess firearms. As Mr. Diaz has learned, convicted felons face substantial prison sentences if they unlawfully use or possess guns."
“Today’s sentence should send a clear message to those who are prohibited from possessing firearms." said James M. Ferguson ATF Special Agent in Charge. “As a convicted felon Mr. Diaz should have never been in possession of a firearm. We hope today’s sentence sends a clear message that the ATF and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to bring these offenders to justice."
This matter was investigated by the Ashland Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland.
The case is part of ATF’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a federally-funded program intended to reduce gun violence through law enforcement training, public education, and aggressive law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute gun-related crimes.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
