DOJ Seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Massachusetts

For Immediate Release

Monday, March 29, 2021
Nathaniel R. Mendell
, United States Attorney
Contact: Christina DiIorio-Sterling

Brockton Man Sentenced for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

Anibal Pires, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In February 2020, Pires pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

On Nov. 29, 2018, Pires was found in Brockton in possession of a Taurus PT111, 9mm pistol and 10 rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Due to a prior felony conviction punishable by more than one year in prison, Pires is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell and Kelly D. Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brockton Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Brady of Mendell’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is 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.

Boston Field Division