Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to deal firearms illegally.

Charles A. Slayden Jr., 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper, who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 3, 2020. In June 2019, Slayden was charged along with co-defendant Levenson Merilus, 29, of Randolph, who pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2020.

According to court documents, Slayden and Merilus conspired to purchase firearms from a licensed dealer and re-sell them for profit to individuals in Boston. In furtherance of this conspiracy, Merilus purchased at least seven guns from a licensed dealer, falsely claiming to be purchasing them for himself.

The charge of conspiring to deal in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $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 D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

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