Morris Pasqual, Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois
Morris Pasqual, Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois
A Rockford resident has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for firearms offenses. Angel Barrera-Esteves, 27, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number and selling firearms without a license. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston handed down the 108-month sentence on Monday.
According to court records, Barrera-Esteves admitted that in 2022 he illegally possessed and sold a semi-automatic handgun after removing its serial number. He also admitted to selling seven firearms between 2021 and 2022 without holding a federal firearms dealer’s license. Some of these weapons were obtained illegally through his mother, Jessica Barrera, who purchased them and transferred them to him. After receiving the firearms, Barrera-Esteves removed their serial numbers and sold them to individuals prohibited from owning guns or likely to use them for illegal activities. He also sold ammunition acquired through his mother and a Glock auto-sear.
Jessica Barrera, 56, was sentenced last month to nearly three years in federal prison for her role in the offenses.
The sentencing was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of ATF’s Chicago Field Division. The Rockford Police Department assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincenza L. Tomlinson prosecuted the case.
"Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses," according to the announcement.
Alerts Sign-up