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Mario Ramirez, 33, was sentenced on multiple gun trafficking charges three weeks after his sister, Elena Ramirez was sentenced to three years in prison for the same crime, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
Ramirez was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms in January 2019 when authorities recovered four of his guns that he had stored in his mother’s Philadelphia home, Williams said.
Ramirez had been under supervision for a prior gun offense, Williams said.
Ramirez was later charged with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and dealing in firearms without a license after an operation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in October 2019, Williams said.
During the operation, ATF purchased 35 firearms, including machinegun conversion kits and 11 self-made, non-serialized firearms, in eight transactions from Ramirez, who conspired with co-Matthew “Montana” Stephens, who received a percentage of each sale as a fee, Williams said.
Elena Ramirez was sentenced on March 4 for her involvement in sales which were also brokered with the assistance of Stephens, Williams said.
“Mario Ramirez added to the chaos and carnage on the streets of our city by illegally selling firearms,” said Williams.
“When he was arrested on these charges, his sister stepped in to fill the gap – and now they will both face the consequences of their actions in federal prison.”
“Firearms trafficking continues to help fuel violent gun crime throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Matthew Varisco, Special Agent in charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division.
“Illegally selling firearms presents an obvious threat toward the safety of our communities. Had it not been for the collaborative work between investigators and the United States Attorney’s Office, dozens of firearms would have been on the streets of Philadelphia where they would have been used in an untold number of violent crimes.”
Ramirez was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya T. De Souza.
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