Former Member of U.S. Navy Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Interstate Gun Trafficking Conspiracy
NEWARK, N.J. – A former member of the U.S. Navy was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for her role in an interstate gun trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Tesora Amanda Cortes Trejorojas, 24, of Norfolk, Virginia, previously pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with one count of conspiring with others to transport and receive in New Jersey firearms purchased and obtained outside the state. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In November 2017, Trejorojas engaged in text messages with Azia Sinclair in which Trejorojas agreed to purchase firearms for Sinclair and Sinclair’s boyfriend, Shyheim Tyson, a/k/a “Shy,” who were both residents of New Jersey.
On Nov. 11, 2017, Sinclair and Tyson drove from New Jersey to Trejorojas’ residence in Norfolk. All three went to a gun store in Norfolk, where Trejorojas purchased five semiautomatic handguns, as well as 200 rounds of ammunition, with cash provided by Sinclair and Tyson. The next day, Sinclair and Tyson drove back to New Jersey with the five handguns and ammunition.
Approximately five hours after Sinclair and Tyson arrived back in New Jersey, an individual was arrested in Orange, New Jersey, after police officers responded to the sound of gunshots. During the arrest, police officers recovered one of the five handguns that Sinclair and Tyson had transported from Virginia to New Jersey.
In March 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Sinclair’s residence in Newark, and found another of the guns that Sinclair and Tyson had transported from Virginia to New Jersey in November 2017.
Tyson and Sinclair both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and receive in New Jersey firearms purchased and obtained outside the State of New Jersey. Tyson was sentenced on Jan. 7, 2019, to 37 months in prison. Sinclair was sentenced on Dec. 11, 2019, to 19 months in prison.
Judge McNulty also sentenced Trejorojas to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson, Newark Field Division, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas L. Chittum III, Washington Field Division, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the N.J. State Police; the Newark Department of Public Safety; and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Norfolk for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan W. Romankow of the Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel:
Trejorojas: Jonathan F. Marshall Esq., Red Bank, New Jersey
Sinclair: Linda Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Tyson: Vincent J. LaPaglia Esq., Hoboken, New Jersey
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