Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to deal firearms illegally.

Charles A. Slayden Jr., 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which time he will be subject to associational and geographic restrictions. In August 2020, Slayden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. In June 2019, Slayden was charged along with co-defendant Levenson Merilus, 29, of Randolph, who previously pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 11, 2021.

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.

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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