Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Hyannis man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms. Donnell Pina, aged 52, received the sentence from U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young in Boston federal court. Following his prison term, Pina will undergo three years of supervised release.
In March 2025, Pina admitted guilt to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was indicted alongside co-defendant Ryan Diefenbach by a federal grand jury in November 2022.
The charges stem from incidents in September 2021 when Pina and Diefenbach were found with a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle. During that month, Pina sold two firearms—the Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle and a Walther Colt M4 Carbine .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle—to a confidential informant collaborating with federal law enforcement on Cape Cod.
Both men are barred from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. In October 2024, Diefenbach was sentenced to six years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives' Boston Field Division. Assistant United States Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum prosecuted the case.
This legal action is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative that unites various levels of law enforcement and community members to reduce gun violence and violent crime overall. The Department's violent crime reduction strategy, launched on May 26, 2021, aims to enhance PSN through principles such as fostering community trust and legitimacy, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
For further details about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit Justice.gov/PSN.
