Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares of Everett was sentenced on Mar. 30 in federal court in Boston to time served, totaling 18 months in prison, for selling more than half a dozen firearms without a license.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address illegal gun sales and prevent unlicensed distribution of firearms in Eastern Massachusetts.
According to court documents, Da Silva Soares, age 22, pleaded guilty in December 2025 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. He was arrested on related state charges in September 2024 before being charged federally by criminal complaint in January 2025 and later indicted by a grand jury that July.
Prosecutors said that between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied multiple firearms for sale. On Aug. 26, he delivered two AR-15 style rifles during a transaction at a parking lot in Malden for $6,000. Another sale occurred on Sept. 11 outside a residence in Milford and involved five additional guns including rifles, pistols, and a shotgun.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the sentence along with Thomas Greco of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Michael J. Krol from Homeland Security Investigations; and David T. Wesling from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The investigation received support from the Massachusetts State Police as well as Malden and Milford Police Departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds prosecuted the case.
