Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
An Everett resident has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the illegal sale of firearms, including AM-15 rifles, in Eastern Massachusetts.
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 21, admitted in federal court to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Sentencing is set for April 1, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun. Da Silva Soares was first charged by criminal complaint in January 2025 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.
Prosecutors said that between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied more than six firearms for sale. On August 26, 2024, he delivered two AM-15 rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a Malden parking lot. He also took part in another transaction on September 11, 2024, selling five additional firearms—including rifles, pistols and a shotgun—outside a Milford residence.
Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines reaching $250,000. The final sentence will be determined by the judge based on federal guidelines and statutes.
"United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today." Authorities noted that the Massachusetts State Police as well as Malden and Milford Police Departments provided assistance during the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds from the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is handling prosecution.
