3 Dallas men sentenced on federal firearms convictions

DALLAS — Three local men who pleaded guilty in November 2011 to various firearms offenses were sentenced on Tuesday, announced U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña, Northern District of Texas.

Ranferi Osorio, 28, Kelvin Leon Morrison, 26, and Luis Carbajal, 23, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay within the guideline range. Judge Lindsay sentenced Osorio to120 months in prison, Morrison to 30 months in prison and Carbajal, whom the court found to be the least culpable in this case, to a two-year term of probation. Osorio and Morrison have been in federal custody since their February 2011 arrest.

This investigation is being conducted by the following agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI; and the Lancaster, Texas, Police Department.

Osorio and Morrison each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make a false statement on records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer. Osorio also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing a firearm bearing a removed or obliterated serial number. In addition, Osorio, Morrison and Carbajal each pleaded guilty to making a false statement on records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer.

According to documents filed in the case, from June 2010 through February 2011, Osorio, Morrison and Carbajal, along with co-defendants Otilio Osorio, Angel Pablo Monroy, Rosendo Quinones, Eder Talamantes and Kevin Bueno, conspired to acquire firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers. They acquired firearms by making false statements on records required to be kept by a licensed firearms dealer. Together they formulated a plan that included selecting the licensed dealers and the types of firearms to be purchased, and acquiring the firearms from those dealers by making false statements intended to deceive the firearms dealer. The remaining five defendants have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in March and June 2012.

In July 2010, Morrison purchased four Romarm, Model WASR-10, 7.62x39mm rifles. He knowingly made a false statement regarding the name and address of the actual transferee/buyer on ATF Form 4473, which the licensed dealer is required by law to keep in its records. Specifically, Morrison alleged that he was the actual transferee/buyer when he was not.

In November 2010, Osorio knowingly possessed 12 Romarm, Model Draco, 7.62x39mm firearms, which he knew had the importer's or manufacturer's serial numbers removed and obliterated. Osorio transferred these firearms to a confidential informant who was working for ATF, and ATF subsequently seized these firearms.

In December 2010, Carbajal purchased a Century Arms, Model Draco, 7.62x39mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer and knowingly stated on the ATF Form 4473 that he was the actual transferee/buyer, when in fact, he was not.

Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary F. Walters are in charge of the prosecution.