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Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Massachusetts
Andrew E. Lelling, United States Attorney
Contact: Christina DiIorio-Sterling
www.justice.gov/usao-ct
For Immediate Release
Thursday, October 3, 2019

Boston Man Charged with Being Felon in Possession of Firearm

Defendant allegedly possessed a gun and ammunition in playground

BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Elvis R. Abinader, 20, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Abinader was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since Sept. 10, 2019. 

The indictment alleges that Abinader possessed a Ruger .380 caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number and three rounds of ammunition on June 24, 2019, at the Mt. Pleasant Play Area, a playground in Boston. Federal law prohibits Abinader from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction for a narcotics distribution offense.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins; and Boston Police Commissioner William G. Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of Lelling’s Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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