A Salvadoran national residing unlawfully in Chelsea has been charged with allegedly selling firearms without a license. Melbi Ovidio Ortez, 40, was arrested and charged with one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Following his arrest, Ortez was detained pending probable cause and detention hearings set for July 18, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Ortez is identified as an associate of the 18th Street Gang who supplied firearms and controlled substances to gang members. Between April 3 and May 2, 2025, he allegedly sold various firearms and ammunition behind his Chelsea residence. The items reportedly sold include a Glock 9mm caliber pistol; a Sturm and Ruger .22 caliber revolver; a Glock .40 caliber pistol; a Colt .380 caliber pistol; magazines; and over one hundred rounds of ammunition. It is further alleged that some serial numbers were defaced, including on the Glock 9mm pistol purchased only 20 days earlier from a licensed dealer in New Hampshire. Additionally, Ortez allegedly sold suspected cocaine twice during this period.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. Deportation may follow any imposed sentence. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the charges alongside Kimberly Milka from the FBI's Boston Division and Scott Riordan from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Boston Field Division. Several local police departments provided assistance along with Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection Unit; Massachusetts Department of Correction; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III is prosecuting this case as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.
The allegations against Ortez remain unproven until established beyond reasonable doubt in court.
